Summer Affairs (discontinued)
by xSimpleSoul
Summary: His summer affair is too alike to Aria's highschool years: complicated. Will Aria and Ezra take a chance together without hurt or drama involved? Highly unlikely. Ezra/Aria
1. Chapter 1: Tanned skin & wedding toppers

**Aloha!** This is my first fanfiction, and I'd really appreciate it if you gave me some feedback aka reviews. And sorry, this is a boring chapter. More interesting chapters to come, fellow citizens… Hah.

_**Flashback**_

_"Ezra?" Aria Montgomery pushed the doorbell of apartment 3B numerously, wondering where her boyfriend was. Giving up, she finally reached under the shabby 'welcome' mat and searched for his spare key. Disbelief overtook her body when all her fingers found was a small bright orange sticky note.  
><em>

_Dear Aria,  
>Don't ask where I'm at. Believe me, I'm alright and breathing. Just remember that I love you so much, love.u<br>Always remember me, Ezra  
><em>

_Just like that, the tears came rolling down her delicate cheeks.  
>"What about us?" She whispered, softly rubbing her stomach.<em>

Later that week

It has now been a week since Ezra's sudden leave. Excruciating pain shot through Aria's lower abdomen, causing her to moan in pain. After the pain refused to subdue, she finally headed into the chilly bathroom, her eyes swollen and cheeks stinging. Thinking that perhaps a dump would end her pain, she sat down on the toilet, but soon let out an earsplitting scream. An endless stream of blood trickled into the toilet, staining the water scarlet. She glanced at her blood soaked panties and let the tears fall.

_**End of flashback**_

Eyes fixed on the dimmed MacBook screen and fingers steadily gliding over the silver keys, Aria Montgomery huffed at her failed attempt to write the latest story she had been working on for several months. Her work to her so far always sounded either too_ cliche_, too_ bland_, too _nonchalant_, which always caused a finger to trail back to the backspace button. She drummed her fingers along to the steady beat that belonged to a slow ballad that suddenly made her heart heavy. This song always triggered memories of the time she was with him, which is why she always listens to this song when writing her novels. Romance was her main genre, however where there's romance, there's often heartbreak or something utterly tragic upon her stories. Aria was never the one to write happy endings, partly because she didn't believe such a thing could exist. Sighing, she eyed the last chapter she had worked on doubtfully, but then decided to keep it. Her editor would be stopping by in a week to check up on her progress, and she hadn't written enough to wow her the last time she visited, so Aria was determined to please the lady with a great portion. She placed her fingers on the keyboard and began to type. Ten unruly minutes later, a sudden ring of the doorbell inturrupted her thinking. Screaming silently in her head, she got up from her seat and approached the door.

"Who is it?" She asked, obviously annoyed.

"Its Spence, Aria." Spencer called.  
>With that, Aria opened the door and hugged her friend.<p>

"Where's your keys? And how was your trip? You are so tan!" She exclaimed and released her friend from her hug.

"Forgot them here.. And Florida was great! I'll tell you the details later.. But Aria.. How long have you been writing today?" Spencer asked, then sniffed Aria.

"Um.. A just a..um.. Maybe since 8?." Aria smirked sheepishly.

"Oh my gosh, that was 11 hours ago! Girl, you need to get out of this condo. I'm calling Hanna and Em, we're taking you shopping. But first," Spencer nudged her friend over to the bathroom, "it's time for you to take a shower. Be ready in an hour!" Aria stared at her, astonished.

"But... I need to finish this chapter!" She whined while Spencer rolled her eyes.  
>"Thats enough writing for you, miss New York Times bestseller. Spend the rest of today with your girlfriends for once!" Aria heaved a big sigh, then muttered a response agreeing to Spencer's statement.<p>

An hour later, Aria emerged from her condo fully refreshed with Spencer by her side. Together, they strode into the mall after their short ride over and walked into a crowded cafe, where they were supposed to meet the rest of the girls. Aria ordered a mango smoothie and a small blueberry muffin while Spencer ordered a non fat mocha frappicino and a raspberry scone for herself. While the two were waiting for Hanna and Emily, Aria found herself texting her editor. Her editor, a polished lady with the name of Kathleen, asked her if she could bring her nephew over to read her work so he could grasp the feeling of writing romance as well. How odd, a guy writing romance novels has got to be gay or somewhat gifted, like Nicholas Sparks, she thought. She must have said it aloud because she heard a burst of giggles and Hanna's maniacal cackle in front of her. She looked up and noticed that Hanna and Emily were finally there, each carrying a drink of their choice in their hands.

"What in the world are you talking about, Aria?" Emily smirked and gave her friend a quick hug before settling down on the seat beside her.

"My editor wants to bring her nephew next week when she visits me. She says he needs to grasp the feeling of writing romance the right way by reading my work that I've got so far. He has got to be gay something, right?" Aria giggled. The girls nodded their heads and continued their laughter.

An hour into their shopping, the girls each carried handfuls of bags that mostly belonged to Hanna. They stopped by a large wedding boutique, and stared in awe at the beautifully embroidered dresses.

"Those are just gorgeous! I feel as if Caleb will never propose.." Hanna sighed and stared longingly at the dresses

"Oh Han, you'll get that ring soon, I promise." Emily assured her, gently laying her hand on Hanna's shoulder.

"Yeah Hanna, Caleb loves you. He'll propose eventually." Spencer cooed while patting Hanna's back.

"Easy for you to say, soon to be Mrs. Cavanaugh." Hanna muttered.

"Ahem, some of us here don't even boyfriends!" Aria rolled her eyes at the three girls.

"Right. Sorry!" Hanna apologized.

"Plus, I have a girlfriend." Emily laughed.

"Hey isn't that.." Spencer spoke, looking past the display window and into the boutique. Aria squinted her green eyes and tried to see what Spencer was talking about. Her heart dropped at the sight of man and a woman, hand in hand, each looking at what looked like wedding cake toppers. Why did her heart drop?

It was none other than Mr Ezra Fitz himself.


	2. Chapter 2: Like, THEE Aria Montgomery?

**Hello! **I really enjoy reading the reviews, so keep it up (: And I know these things are normally in the end, but I'd like to clear up some questions to some fellow reviewers.

**For those needing more background information- Aria is 24, almost 25, and Ezra is 31. He moved to Northern Connecticut when Aria got a miscarriage. That's pretty much all I'm telling you guys right now since more info about them will be spread out in the next few chapters. Patience is key, people ;)**

**.dreamers- **Interesting thought about the rating, but I can assure you it'll be rated T from there on out. Its rated T for language and such.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars or the characters except with the exceptions of Rebecca Clyde and Kathleen. I only own the story line and those characters mentioned. **

"Aria?"

Aria opened her eyes and looked around. She seemed to be resting on a white loveseat in a store. How peculiar, she thought.

"Spence? How long was I out?" She slowly got up, and then got onto her feet.

"About 10 minutes.." Spencer replied, nervously looked around, and stood up as well.

"Where are the others?" Aria asked, suddenly remembering where she was.  
>Wedding boutique. Ezra Fitz. Gorgeous lady. Hand in hand.<p>

Spencer was quick to respond. "Stalling ." She mumbled.  
>Suddenly, Emily and Hanna galloped into the store, looking exasperated and questionably finicky. Aria, an eyebrow raised and arms crossed over her chest, stared past the two and right at the couple behind them.<p>

"Um.. Hello Aria! I- we," Ezra gestured to the woman, who merely smiled, and continued, "were meaning to check up on you when you fainted but your two friends here dropped some bags and needed help." How stupid, she thought.

"It's alright." She fake smiled and glanced at the woman next to him.

"This is-" "Rebecca!" She piped up, flashing her too-white teeth at the girls. Rebecca's tan hand quickly sprung up to Aria's face, revealing a ring. Aria glanced at Ezra, who simply shrugged.

"Its white gold, imported from Alaska, you know! Ezra proposed this April so he picked those tiny gems to be all crystals, because that's April's birthstone and it's the birth of our lives together! Isn't that just so sweet? And-"

"That's enough, Becca." An uncomfortable Ezra coughed.

"Oh okay. Oh my, oh my I have a terrible habit of talking too much, so sorry!" Rebecca squeaked apologetically. What in the WORLD does Ezra see in this woman, Aria wondered. She scanned the blonde over. Dirty blond highlights, brown eyes, too much pink lipstick lathered over her lips. What is there to love about this woman? Okay, she was pretty decent from a certain view, but not this one.

"How rude of me to forget to ask for your name! I should really start shutting up.." Rebecca sighed, and then looked up at Aria expectantly.

"Aria Montgomery." She smiled yet again.

"Like, THEE Aria Montgomery? Oh my gosh! I read your book, Past her Horizon, I just fell in love!" Rebecca gasped, her mouth resembling a giant O. Aria shrugged, letting her eyes wander to the ground.

"Now how do you and Ezra know each other? Oh man, I have a million questions to ask you! Oh where to begin... Oh I know! How about dinner this Saturday at 6? Do you like Chinese food, because Ezra says Chopsticks is a great place." Rebecca suggested, then waited for a response.

Ezra's stormy blue eyes traveled over to Aria's green ones. She nodded slowly, and then turned around to find that the girls completely deserted her. She waved her hand slowly at the departing couple, who mirrored her motion as they headed deeper into the store.

After finally catching up with the girls and spilling all the events she had just experienced, Aria asked Spencer to drive her home to clear her mind. Spencer answered her with a nod and drove her to their condo. It was times like these, times of complete and utter despair, that urged her creative juices to flow. While Aria's fingers angrily slammed into the keyboard, Spencer, her roommate slash best friend, knew well enough not to bother her. During these times of silence, Spencer usually spent her time cooking up Aria's favorite meal, chicken adobo, and going on runs with some of her old college roommates. Aria, of course, never acknowledged Spencer's presence until the scent of the delicious dish filled the house. Today, however, Spencer did not stir up her favorite meal and did not run with old colleagues, but instead sat on Aria's gray on white scratchy couch that stood in front of the fireplace in her office.

"Aria," Spencer called softly, running her fingers across the course fabric.

"What do you think about Ezra's sudden move back to Rosewood..?" She asked a stiff Aria. After Aria gave no response, she stood up and watched as Aria's words magically appeared onto the dimmed screen. Aria looked up, and then began typing a big and bold **'Spencer. Leave me alone.'**

Spencer, who simply rolled her eyes, replied, "No. Aria answer me. I'm your best friend slash roomy, remember?"

Suddenly, Aria spun around in her white wheelie chair, facing Spencer. "I think it's stupid. I think HE'S stupid. I think his fiancée is stupid. I think that Ezra should just leave like 3 years ago, when I was PREGNANT with his child but LOST the baby because of HIM. He... He.. How could he just leave us then come back with a Barbie doll as a fiancée? How could he.." Tears rolled down her face, her makeup already getting runny. Spencer handed her a tissue box and pulled her in for a hug.

"Awh.. Aria, hun, you don't have to go to dinner with him and Rebecca.-"

"No. I am going to that dinner. I'll show him what he's been missing." Aria sneered, a twisted expression on her face. Spencer raised an eyebrow. Wasn't she just crying a second ago?

"As long as you don't do anything you'll regret in the future.." She mumbled, her eyes fixed on her light peach painted nails. Aria, who simply rolled her eyes, pointed to the door.

"Now get out, mama's on fire tonight." She smirked, then playfully pushed Spencer out the door.

"Geez, someone's mood swings are out of control today. Are you on your period?" Spencer giggled.

"That is _none_ of your business. But.. Yes I am. _Heh._ Now leave!" Aria laughed, sat at her desk again and began typing.


	3. Chapter 3: The Pancake Pub

**Hola!** Keep the reviews coming, I love reading your feedback! And if I happen to stop updating, I'm sorry! I'm still in school, but it'll end in three weeks. If homework isn't given out or is finished early, I promise to get back to writing. But for now, I'll need to concentrate on this huge analysis paper due soon. Sorry ;(

I appoligize to nightmares . and . dreamers for misspelling her username in chapter 2. Stilllll trying to figure out this thing ):**  
><strong>  
><em><strong>Flashback<strong>_

_ It was a beautiful day in Northern Connecticut when Ezra Fitz received the news that would change his life forever. _(cheesy, yes?)_  
><em>

_"Ezra... I'm pregnant!" Rebecca Clyde, his girlfriend of five months, squealed, her voice full of excitement and its usual pep. Ezra was in complete and utter disbelief. Rebecca was a great girl, but Ezra didn't love her like he loved Aria, his still believed soul mate, and even Jackie, who he loved very much in his younger years. It was very much puppy love for the past few months, but how it got out of hand still lingers in this mind. He's been trying to break up with her for a few weeks now, but could not seem to break her sweet, fragile heart. _

_How she got pregnant was all a blur, really. He only slept with her twice; first on Valentines Day and second on her birthday, which was only two months ago. Suddenly, the weight and pressure of being a father took its toll on him.  
><em>

_"Realy, Becca?" He smiled, even if he wasn't over the fence about this situation quite yet. She showed him several pregnancy tests, all showing a pink plus sign. He hugged her, hoping she wouldn't sense his disappointment.  
><em>

_"I went to the doctor, too. She confirmed it and says I'm about six weeks along." She smiled, showing her pearly whites._

_"Ezra, we're gonna be parents!" Her grin grew bigger and her eyes shone with pride. Ezra could only hug her tighter._

_**End of flashback**_

"She's so beautiful.. She has your eyes and my nose and mouth.."

Ezra took the baby from her arms and softly cradled the small pink bundle. He peered at her gentle face; She opened her eyes, which was the color of the sea. But as his eyes trailed over to her nose and lips, he did not see Rebecca's pointy nose or thick lips. Instead, he saw a small, petite nose; as if he'd break it if he were to touch it; and her mouth was small and soft. A puzzled Ezra looked up at the woman who handed his child to him. Aria's face came into full view, her dark brown hair cascaded around her heart shaped face. Her cheeks were flushed a soft shade of pink and her green eyes sparkled. Ezra gasped. Soon, however, he felt a tug on his leg and soon plunged into freezing cold water. His daughter was no longer in his arms and Aria's face soon faded away as he was dragged down deeper... deeper...

"Ezzzzzzzzzy!" Rebecca's voice boomed from the bathroom, which happened to be only a few yards away. Ezra opened his eyes, beads of hot sweat rolled down his forehead. That dream seemed to appear every week since the news of Rebecca's pregnancy. He always wondered if Aria still lived in Rosewood. Of course, his question did not remain a mystery; he met her at the mall the day he moved back. Rebecca was now at 8 weeks, her stomach not drastically changing at all. A week after the news, he popped the question, hoping it would help him at least try to fall in love with her. So far, it wasn't working.

After six years in New York, Ezra sought back a job at Hollis College, where he originally worked before he packed up and moved. Even though it was almost the end of the semester, he decided that the quicker the move, the better. Rebecca enthusiastically agreed to the move and moved right away. They recently acquired a Rosewood Condominium, number 14 to be exact. Becca would continue her job as a therapist at the condo, where she set up a small office next to their large garage.

"Ezra this place is just so cute!" I can't believe you decided to leave Rosewood!" She cooed, then pecked his cheek as he strode into the bathroom. He simply shrugged and brushed his teeth. Rebecca kept blabbering on about how beautiful Rosewood was until suddenly, her voice grew heavy.

"Ezra... Can you get me a pancake from The Pancake Pub?" She begged while he rinsed and spit. He glanced at her large green eyes and sighed.

"Mixed berry?" He asked, grabbing his coat.

"Yes please." She smiled cheekily then gave him a quick kiss before he took off.

Ezra opened the front doors of The Pancake Pub, its space already full at 7 in the morning. He took his place in line behind a short elderly lady. In a few short minutes, he looked back as the door chimed its friendly ring and saw who came into the cramped place. He saw her in his dreams just last night and three days ago at the Rosewood mall. Her hair, however, was straight instead of curled like in his dreams, and her cheeks were its usual porcelain color. He felt himself smile at her presence, but it soon disappeared at the thought of how foolish he looked.

"Aria! Hey!" He called as she took her place in line behind him. She nodded and slightly curved her lips upwards.

"Hello Ezra." She cooly responded.

"What brings you to the Pancake Pub?" He asked, trying to make things less awkward than it already was.

"Breakfast for Spencer and I. You?" She stated, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"Same.. But with Rebecca, of course. So how have—" He began, but was interrupted by a burly man behind Aria.

"Sir, are you going to move up?" He asked, obviously annoyed. Ezra looked before him, seeing the old lady taking her order at the counter a yard away. He appoligized to the man and moved up just as the old lady finished her order. He ordered the mixed berry pancake for Rebecca and a mango smoothie for himself before taking a letter card and sat down at one of the few empty booths. He waited until Aria finished taking her order and gestured to the empty seat in front of him to her. A wave of uncertainty crossed her face, but soon she unsteadily took the seat and placed her own letter card on the table. Ezra slurped his mango smoothie.

"So as I was saying.. How have you been? I never really got the opportunity to talk to you the other day at the mall…" He spoke, took another sip, and then looked at Aria, waiting for an answer.

"I've been good.. Been busy working on my second novel, actually. What about you? Still working on those short stories?" She asked, playing with her skinny coffee straw. Ezra was not expecting this. He did not want to talk to her about work, truthfully. He wanted to talk to her the way they used to... Six years ago. Instead, he nodded.

"I'm actually starting to write a novel myself. I'll be meeting up with my editor in three days with a bestselling author. I don't know who yet, she's trying to keep it a surprise." He spoke, brushing his fingertips along the sticky tabletop. Before she could reply, a loud, clear voice sounded from the intercom.

"_Letter D to counter two!"_

"Darn! That's me. Gotta go, see you in two days, Aria! Oh, and could we exchange numbers, you know, if something comes up on Saturday?" He asked, waited until Aria gave him a nod of approval, then exchanged numbers in their phones. He saw her wallpaper of her cuddling a small cocker spaniel, smiled, then left to go fetch his order. He called a quick goodbye to her once again and headed out the door and into his car, ready to face another day of grammar and spell check.

- **Hey guys I've been wondering if these chapters are too short or… yeah. Let me know.**


	4. Chapter 4: A dinner for three

**Bonjour!** I've been slowing down on the reviews and that makes me sad ): So I decided to post another chapter for you guys today. Again, I apologize if I don't post in a long time.

* * *

><p>"Ooh Aria, you look so sexxxy!" Spencer clapped her hands in delight as Aria strode out of her room, rolling her eyes. It was true; She did look sexy. Ezra had texted her saying the dinner was a formal outing, so she dressed in one of Hanna's creations that was made especially for her, but never wore it until today.<p>

It was almost 6 when Aria arrived at the restaurant. She easily spotted Ezra and his fiancée, Rebecca, at a table near the sushi bar. She walked over with as much confidence she could withstand and sat on a chair across from them.

"Good evening, Aria! We're glad you could come!" Rebecca smiled, handed her a menu, then focused her eyes on Aria's outfit.

"Oh my gosh. That is the CUTEST dress I have ever seen! Where'd you get it?" She stared in awe at her dress.

"It was actually a gift from one of my best friends. She's a fashion designer, her name is Hanna Marin." She replied and scanned over the menu.

"You're best friends with THE Hanna Marin? Oh my gosh!" Rebecca gasped as Aria nodded. Ezra, who had been quiet since her arrival, nodded to a waitress, acknowledging her presence

"I'll have meal 7b with extra eggrolls, please." He said politely. Rebecca, whose attention now shifted to the waitress, spoke next.

"Hmm, I'll have the same, but instead of the eggrolls, maybe can I have some California rolls?" The waitress nodded, and then turned her gaze on Aria.

"I'll have a 3b... Thank you." She quietly spoke to the dark haired lady. Of course, her favorite dish out of the whole menu is 3b. Purely coincidence, she thought to herself. Suddenly, an upbeat song rung, disturbing her thoughts.

"Oops! Sorry, I have to take this call.." Rebecca sighed and headed into the bathroom. After what seemed like forever in awkward silence, Rebecca came back, a frown plastered on her face.

"I apologize, but I have to get to my office. A patient is waiting and is about to have a fit, even on my day off. She says it's an emergency.." She sighed yet again, took her bag, and gave Ezra a small kiss on his cheek.

"Pack my order up for me?" She asked him, jutting out her lower lip out. Ezra smiled, then nodded. She apologized once more before sauntering away in her black pumps.

"Looks like it's just me and you again, Aria." Ezra chuckled before taking a sip of his tea. Almost immediately, he set it back down and stuck his tongue out.  
>"Burned your tongue again?" Aria smirked. He smiled sheepishly and slurred out an undetectable response. He then took several gulps of ice cold water and smiled back at Aria.<p>

"All better." He said, satisfied. She burst in a fit of giggles, and soon he joined in. Just like old times, she smiled to herself. Soon they jumped into small topics like what college she graduated from ("University of California-Berkley", she spoke proudly), the novels they were both working on (which, gasp, were both coincidentally, romance), and whether he upped his cooking skills (sadly, no.) Soon, after their food shortly arrived, they launched into some '_personal'_ topics.

"So... What do you think about Rebecca?" He asked her while stabbing a piece of pork with his chopstick.

"She's.. Nice." Aria mumbled.

"Honestly, I won't get offended." He gently said, looking into her green eyes.

"Honest opinion?" She asked, then waited until Ezra gave her a nod to go ahead.

"Hmm.. Well how do I put this.. She's kinda.. Well.. Overly peppy and.. Barbie-like." She muttered, avoiding his gaze.

"So, fake?" He responded, trying not to be as offended. Sure, she was a little 'overly peppy' but there was a time where he loved her. And could he help it if she looked like a barbie?

"No! I meant she looks like a Barbie. Nothing wrong with that." She quickly shot back.  
>After a couple minutes of silent chewing, Ezra fanned out the awkward-ness of the situation.<p>

"Why did you decide to move back to Rosewood? This is no place for a bestselling author." He chuckled, making her smile.

"I don't really like the attention, you know? Everyone's just too nosy. Plus, it's not like they'd drive all the way to Rosewood just to watch my every move." She replied.

"It's possible." He smirked. She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"What about you? What brings you back to Rosewood?" She asked and nibbled on a piece of beef.

"Hollis begged me to come back, so I did." He simply answered.

"Ezra.. Why did you leave in the first place?"  
>He looked up from his plate and at Aria. He could see this topic clearly hurt her; and the way her eyes welled made him want to stab himself. He set his chopsticks down.<p>

"I'm sorry Aria..." He whispered, trying to catch a glimpse of her eyes that were now facing her plate. He longed to grab her face and just kiss her; to take a strand of her silky hair and tuck it behind her ear. He wanted to hug her and never let go..

"I..." He started but was interrupted.

"Thanks for the dinner... Tell Rebecca thanks for me.. I just remembered Spencer had this important.. Thing going on. I really gotta go. I'm really sorry.. Bye Ezra." She picked up her bag with a sweep of her hand and gave him a last glance before departing the restaurant. He sat there, speechless.

* * *

><p>"How did dinner go, babe?" An exhausted Rebecca asked Ezra as he set down her boxed 7b.<p>

"It was great." He muttered. She must have sensed his disappointment because she set down her book and gave him a hug.

"Doesn't sound great." She observed, then gave him a light kiss on his cheek.

"Becca, hun, I'm really tired. I'm gonna get some sleep." He mumbled and broke from her grasp.

"Ezra. I know you better than that. What happened?" She huffed, crossed her thin arms, and gave him a stern look.

"You want the truth?" He asked his fiancée, waited for her to nod, then continued.

"Aria and I... We.. Were really close friends (very verrry close, indeed). She was my favorite student, no doubt. And.. I have to admit I was a bit jealous after she kept on talking about all her success as an author... And it made me think of how sad my writing life is. I mean, I've been writing for years and she published a bestselling book within her college years." He managed to convince her. She nodded sympathetically.

"You know, I once had the same problem... In the 10th grade my friend and I..." Ezra soon drowned out her voice with his thoughts, a skill he was still getting used to since he started dating her. Finally, after what seemed like several hours, he came up with a decision. Tomorrow he'll try to make plans with Aria. And if she rejected, then screw it. He'll ask every day until she finally agrees. After all, his love deserves to know the truth.

* * *

><p>Aria lay on her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees and head ducked in between them. She ruined the dinner completely by showing him her weakness<em>. I sure showed him<em>, she scoffed to herself. It was stupid, really. She wanted to show him that she was better off without him, but of course, a small slip of her tongue gave her emotions away. In her eyes she saw herself as a coward, so what else could she do but run away? Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and onto her comforter, staining the velvety green fabric. _Where's Spencer when you need her_, she asked herself, then stifled a sigh. Soon, the thought of him in her home slowly began to disturb her. Maybe she should cancel the meeting with her editor, she thought. Ever since learning that he was the so called 'gifted' one, all she ever did was over analyze her writing, as if he'd be so critical to her. However, there was a little piece inside of her that was excited for him to come. She honestly didn't know why, but she hated feeling that way after all he's done to her. Sighing, she plucked herself off her bed and headed into her office, thinking how convenient a time it was to write.


	5. Chapter 5: Pegacorn?

**Konnichi wa!** Thanks for the reviews, they are much appreciated. And I'm uploading today because I actually had time to without exploding under the huge load of stress that's been piled on me lately. Enjoy (:

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><p>"Aria, darling, meet my nephew Ezra Fitz." Kathleen, with her southern Texan accent, drawled. Ezra stared at Aria, his mouth gaped open. Kathleen looked over at his facial expression, suppressing an impatient sigh.<p>

"Ezra.. Might wanna close your mouth before flies waltz in it and fly out your ears, dear." She narrowed her eyes at him, causing him to blink. Aria smirked, tucking her pencil behind her ear.

"Actually, we've already met." She said matter-of-factly.

"Oh really? What a small world we live in." Kathleen replied as she clenched her teeth. You see, the thing about Kathleen was that if you trigger her nerves, she was bound to hold a grudge on you for quite a while. She was posh, strict, and on rare occasions, friendly as can be.

Ezra finally snapped out of his glassy gaze. "Urgg, yes." He nodded a little too eagerly. He turned to Aria in his shabby gray suit.

"I knew you were a bestselling author, but I didn't know you were gonna be the one I'd be_ interviewing_." She rolled her eyes and turned to Kathleen, who was obviously bored out of her mind.

"Is sharing time over yet?" She fake yawned at the two. The both quickly nodded their heads.

"Good. Now Ezra, take out a notebook, and Aria, be ready to answer his questions. Meanwhile, I'll be looking over your story while the two of you bond. And by the looks of this huge chunk, I'll be here for a few days, meaning, Ezra better get decent notes or he might not get anything accomplished." This time, she narrowed her eyes at Aria, who shrunk back in her seat, making her look smaller than she already was.

"Am I clear?" They both nodded to Kathleen's stern proposal. They both nodded at once. She gave a small smile and strode over to Aria's desk. Aria turned to Ezra.

"Well?" She asked, pretending as if their dinner never happened. Ezra sighed, then scrolled down his list of questions he had written down previously. She answered them, her voice bland, suppressing a sigh every once in a while. Her eyes suddenly grew huge at question number 17; "What inspired you to write in the beginning?" He asked and glanced at her.

"Well-"

"- Aria dear do you have any of those tasty brownies you had on my last visit?" Kathleen interrupted. Aria shook her head, causing Kathleen to frown.

"Oh okay. Where's your bathroom again, hun?"

"When you enter the hall, it's the first door on the left, directly across from this room." She instructed as Kathleen got up from her spot and headed towards the door. She gave her thanks and left the office, leaving Aria and Ezra alone in the room.

"You never answered my question, Aria." He stated, giving her a look.

"Ahm.. Oh right. As I was saying.. Please don't spread this out to the press, Ezra. It's a personal reason so I lie to them." She smiled timidly. He nodded, his thoughts swimming with various questions.

"The truth is.. It's because of you, Ezra." He was speechless. When Rebecca speaks of her book, she always moans at how terribly tragic it was. Did he really cause such painful emotions?

"...Is that a good thing?" He stopped taking notes to make eye contact with her, but only to have her avoid it. She bit her lip, making her look innocent.

"I guess it depends on how you see it. If you didn't cause such a big impact on my life, then I might have not started writing; therefore, it's a good situation. If it were from someone else's point of view, however, they might be thinking about _how_ I was actually_ hurt_ and how bad it was to start a writing career. That last part actually didn't make sense, but.. Catch my drift?" She said, not pausing as Kathleen headed back to her computer. Ezra slowly nodded, still trying to get his head around the concept.

"Aria, how many chapters have you written so far?" Kathleen whirled around to face the two who were on the couch. Aria averted her attention to her editor.

"Only about 15..." She replied, feeling a bit embarrassed at how slow her pace was.

"Oh perfect! I just finished chapter three, so I'll get into the next three tomorrow." She said, obviously pleased. Aria let out a sigh of relief, followed Ezra and Kathleen to the door, and gave Kathleen a hug. Unsure about what to give Ezra, she finally extended her hand. Moments later, she felt a jab of electricity trickle up her spine from his hand. She bit her lip again and called her goodbyes to the nephew and aunt duo.

* * *

><p>Three more days passed by with Kathleen coming in about three hours a day. She would make small remarks here and there upon Aria's writing, making her both angry and happy at the small mistakes she regrettably didn't spy. Ezra came in as well, knowing more and more about Aria's technique as each day passed. Two more days until Kathleen would leave Rosewood and Ezra.<p>

Ezra headed towards the bathroom, but soon discovered that it was locked. He called for Aria, who simply pointed at her bedroom door.

"There's an entry through my bedroom. You'll see it next to a desk." She said, then made her way downstairs and into the kitchen where Kathleen was busy stuffing her face with brownies. Ezra opened her door and a wave of cucumber melon instantly hit him, making him smile. It smelled just like her room at her parents house whenever he actually got up the courage to go upstairs without being caught. He paused to take a look around her room before realizing how stalker-ish he looked. He headed towards the door, but was suddenly intrigued by a picture of him and Aria smiling on one of their dates out of Rosewood. He picked it up and examined it, suddenly taking a walk down memory lane.

_**Flashback**_

_"Aw look at that penguin! He's so fat!" Aria giggled, looking up at Ezra who smiled back down at her. They were at the Philadelphia Zoo, obviously looking at the waddling penguins making unusual, annoying noises. He held her close, burying his nose in her silky hair._

_"Phillip darling look at that." An elderly woman pointed at the couple who now was seated on a bench._

_"Oh Mildred, it's love right there. They remind me an awful lot like us back in the day." An elderly man chuckled, giving his wife a tender kiss on the cheek. Aria blushed and held Ezra closer as the couple departed, looking as though they were heading to the giraffes._

_"I just love how everyone here doesn't suspect a thing about us. It's a relief." He sighed, looking at the oblivious people around them. She nodded in reply._

_"We should get out of Rosewood more often." She mumbled while running her fingers along the hem on the bottom of his shirt._

_"That," He poked her cheek, "Would cause suspicion to rise among fellow Rosewood citizens, my love."  
>She giggled.<em>

_"But no worries. Someday we'll get out of Rosewood together and live somewhere off in a magical land." He chuckled._

_"Yeah and I'll buy myself a pegacorn." She snorted, then smirked._

_"Pegacorn?"_

_"Pegasus and a unicorn mix, gosh." She retorted, getting a soft nudge in response. She got out her camera._

_"Let's take a picture by the fat penguin." She laughed while tugging on his hand._

_"Agh, fine." He said, got up in front of the penguin display, and gave a small grin as Aria snapped a picture. She looked at the screen, satisfied._

_"This is definitely going in my room." A giddy Aria laughed at Ezra's horrid expression._

_"Just kidding."_

_"Thank god." He sighed, and then locked his lips to hers._

_**End of flashback**_**  
><strong>  
>Ezra grinned at the picture. He missed her so much. If only she knew…<p>

"Ezra? Kathleen just left without you so.." Aria walked into the room and glanced at him holding the picture frame, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"So it _did _go in your room." He smirked, making her melt a little inside. No. She hated this feeling. She hated how it could build up so much and not be known on the outside. She wasn't supposed to feel this way after all he's done to her. She wasn't supposed to feel herself falling in love... Again.

"...it was a great trip." She finally managed to squeeze out.

"Great memories." He nodded, gazing into her eyes.

"I miss that penguin." She stammered as he got closer to her, making her feel more and more vulnerable.

"I miss you." He said, his voice barely audible.

She gulped as he leaned in, his lips moving closer to hers.


	6. Chapter 6:Tears to fill an ocean

**Shalom! **Guess who finally finished their analysis paper? THIS GIRL RIGHT HERE. Buuuut I'll be a bit busy with school ending next Thursday, so I'm gonna say sorry in advance. However, I'll be on a plane next Thursday as well, and that'll give me time to write some more (: Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Aria softly shielded her face with her dark hair, making Ezra halt to a stop.<p>

"Please don't Ezra.." She pleaded, her eyes round and full of innocence. She looked up at him. It was like she saw his heart crumble into a million pieces.

"I'm so sorry I left you Aria.." He breathed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I wasn't the only one you left..." She whispered, turning her back away from him. He looked at her, confusion written all over his face.

"What," he said, "are you talking about?" Her eyes welled with tears that threatened to escape.

"You left us." She sputtered and placed a hand on her lower abdomen. He gave a small gasp and soon his own eyes watered with his tears

"You.. We.. Have a baby?" He was speechless. Her knees buckled and she collapsed on her bed, her sobs growing bigger and bigger. Ezra sat beside her, caressing her arm and wiping her tears with a swipe of his thumb.

"What happened, Aria?" He asked, his voice calm and soothing. She tried her best to get the words going out her mouth, but failed due to the sobs she choked up.

"I... I can't." She gasped out before choking on another sob.

"You don't," She sniffled before continuing, "realize how much pain I went through, been going through." She managed to share before yet another sob passed through her throat.

"I'm so sorry. So so sorry..." He whispered, taking her hand in his and intertwined their fingers together. She closed her eyes before taking a deep, wobbly breath.

"Please Ezra.. I just don't wanna get hurt again..." She pleaded, pulling her hand away from his. Ezra pursed his lips together. There were no words that could possibly escape his mouth right now. Ever since he realized he still loved Aria, all he could ever think about was her. Now that Rebecca was his fiancée and carrying his baby, there was no doubt he was hurting her even more than he already has been. Sighing, he looked down at Aria, who was softly fluttering her eyelashes. Suddenly remembering his first intention, he got up and went to the bathroom.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Fitz?" Spencer, who just got home, screamed, dropping her keys after shutting the door.<p>

"... You can call me Ezra now, Spencer." He said, a bit flustered. He was in the middle of a nap when he heard keys jingling outside the door. He decided that he was going to let Aria sleep before getting answers to his undying questions that swam around his brain.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She said, her voice rising as she stepped closer to him.

"I'm here to talk to Aria.. What are -you- doing here?" He asked.

"I'm her roommate. What do you want to talk to her about?" She scoffed. It was clear that she did not like him. At all.

"Just some questions." He replied, trying to show no fear for the cumbersome woman.

"I'm sure I can answer them just fine. After all, she _is_ my best friend. I know more about her than anyone else." Her voice sounded while she hung her jacket up on a coat rack.

"Then where's our child now?" He spat now that she was getting on his nerves.

"Oh. So you know about that now. Um. She better tell you that _herself_." She gulped uneasily.

"That's what I thought. He said triumphantly. She headed into Aria's room, only to find her sitting on her bed, tears softly rolling down her cheeks and onto her lap. She shut the door.

"Aria?" She softly said, pulling her in for a hug.

"Hey Spencer. Is he gone yet?" She whispered in response.

"No.. Should I kick his ass for you?" She rolled up her sleeves, giving herself a fierce look.

"That's okay Spence." She giggled, her tears quickly drying up.

"I better talk to him. I can't imagine what he's been thinking in the last two hours." She said.

"Two _hours_? What exactly happened?" She asked, giving her a worried look. Aria managed to tell her the whole story before crumbling into pieces.

"Wow. I wish I could kick his damn ass. But you won't let me." She sighed. "And besides, I need to get ready for a certain date with Toby. We're meeting up with his parents about the wedding plans." She squealed, making Aria giggle once more.

* * *

><p>Once Aria finished settling her emotions down and Spencer finished gussying up, they headed to the door. Ezra, who was busy reading a book, looked up at the two women.<p>

"Good luck, Spence." She smiled and gave her a hug.

"You need it more than I do." She said, lowering her voice so he couldn't hear her. After shutting the door, Aria settled down on the couch opposite him.

"Why are you still here, Ezra?" She softly said, bunching up her knees to her chin.

"I need answers." He stated, fiddling with the book in his hands.

"Okay. Well then, shoot." She said, ready to fight the tears that was soon bound to come.

"Where's our child? Because I clearly don't see one around here." He said, making Aria's lip quiver.

"I was hoping you knew what I meant when I put my hand on my stomach. But I guess not. So I'm going to say this _once_ and once only." She was on the verge of tears now.

"I... I had a miscarriage, Ezra. Six years ago when you left." The tears finally escaped her eyes. Ezra gasped, his eyes well on the brim of tears.

"What.. What happened?" He whispered, transferring to the seat beside her.

"It was after," She sniffled, "a week you left. I was," another sniffle, "so devastated. I killed our baby." She wept as he slid his arms around her.

"Shhh..." He hushed while playing with a strand of her hair. It then hit him. It wasn't _Aria _who killed the baby. It was _him_. He then started to cry, staining her shirt with his tears.

"Aria it's not your fault. It's _mine_." He whispered, making her more angry than sad.

"YOU weren't carrying the baby. _I_ WAS." She lashed, prying the arms around her away.

"It's MY own fucking FAULT. If I stopped crying after you left I'd have a little child running around this condo, not a book editor eating my brownies." She snarled.

"_ARIA_ just admit that I was the cause of your miscarriage not YOU. If I hadn't left we'd be raising that child together somewhere out of Rosewood." He replied, making her cry once more.

"Then why'd you leave?" She whispered.

"My mom.. She was sick, okay? She had cancer. She was _dying_. I wanted to be there for her." He replied, feeling even guiltier then he already was.

"You couldn't just tell me?" She cried, wiping her tears with her sleeve.

"I couldn't! I just.. I got the news she was in the hospital so I had to be there with her. It was only supposed to be a couple days.. Until I got the news she only had a couple months so I sold my apartment. I couldn't break your heart." She looked at him, her eyes red and puffy.

"Well you did anyways." She spat.

"I didn't mean to." He said, making her calm down.

"I missed you Aria. I still do." He mumbled.

"... I miss you too Ezra." Those words rung around Ezra's head, making his heart jump. He leaned in so close their foreheads touched. He could hear her breaths get shallower and shallower as his lips got closer to hers. Soon he felt their lips touch, and suddenly a leap of joy hit him. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and for a minute or two, they were lost in their own world. He let go and gazed into her eyes and gave her another kiss. He found what he's been searching for after all those therapy sessions (are you confused? YOU BETTER BE. Buuut you'll find out soon). He found his Aria. His lost love.

* * *

><p>Cheesy overload, yes? (;<p> 


	7. Chapter 7: You knocked her up?

**Talofa!** School is almost over *teenie scream* I seriously can't wait til summer. However, the only problem, is that I don't know what I'll be doing. So, I'll probably be writing most of the time. Oh, how I have no life. Enjoy this extremely boring chapter (:

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

"Ezra.. I can see that you aren't happy." His mother, Denise Fitz, commented on a hospital bed, giving Ezra a worried look.

"Mom, I'm fine." He said, flipping the channels of the cubed TV box.

"Haven't you ever heard that mothers know best?" She smirked, making Ezra sigh.

"Of course I have. You always said that back then"

"Then tell me what's been bothering you lately?" She said, her voice smooth and comforting. He ignored her, trying to focus on the history channel's latest special about Saint Patrick's Day.

"Hey ma, did you know that Saint Patrick's color was originally blue?"

"Yes dear, we're watching the same TV program." She rolled her eyes.

"You know, if I can't get the feelings out of you, then I'll have to hand you to a therapist. My good friend's daughter is a great therapist, you'll love her." She said, making Ezra turn around.

"But-" He started, but was interrupted.

"-No buts Ezra. Just one session is all you need. Plus, I already arranged a time for you. 3:20, sharp. 702 Ptarmigan Drive, just around that new Mexican restaurant."

"_What_?" He puffed, making his mother wince a bit.

"I just want you to be happy, my dear. You wouldn't want your poor old sickly momma to die knowing her son was unhappy." Sure she was sick, but she was still evil, which is why he loves her. He heaved a big sigh.

"Alright. Just one session."

**End of flashback**

Several days after Aria and Ezra's passionate moment, the two resorted to meeting at her condo, where they spent almost all of their time together. Today, they settled in her living room, cuddling on her velvet couch.

"I can't believe I left you and this-" He kissed her forehead, then nose, and finally her lips.

"Back up there, Fitzy. You have a freaking fiancée." She practically screamed.

"Can you just forget about that right now? Quit ruining my moments!" He whined, making Aria giggle.

"Well I can't. You're engaged. This-" She motioned to his hand in hers, "is  
><em>wrong<em>." She muttered as Ezra fiddled with her hair.

"Well guess what? Dating your high school teacher was wrong. Not to mention illegal." He commented, making Aria twitch.

"And the last time I checked, we weren't officially a 'thing' yet, so hush." She scoffed at his response.

"God! I can't believe you. You make cheating sound like a breeze." She muttered and gave him a look.

"With that reply, I now pronounce us a 'thing'!" He hurrahed.

"Oh my god Ezra. Are you on -crack-? This is a serious situation, here!" She shrieked as she grabbed a nearby pillow, using it to hit his head.

"Ow! And of course not. Aria, love, if we went through your entire junior year without getting caught, we could do it again." He replied, obviously unaware of how stupid it sounded.

"Yes but, this time you're engaged. And-"

"Pregnant."

"Yes, and pregnant. Wait. What?"

"Rebecca's pregnant."  
>A thick fog of silence enveloped the two.<p>

"She's. Pregnant." She whispered while Ezra affectionately nuzzled her hair.

"Holy shit Ezra. You _knocked_ her up?" She huffed. It was like he could see the smoke coming out of her ears.

"I didn't mean to!" He begged as she pushed him.

"I don't even like her that much! Believe me!"

"Oh so you proposed to her and knocked her up? There's nothing more, then? Huh?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Perhaps this wasn't the best time to tell you."

"You think?"

"Oh my god Aria. Okay, I admit, I did love her a little. She just gets on my nerves a lot nowadays. And I had no choice to propose to her. My mom loved us." He sighed, making her feel a bit guilty.

"I'm sorry. It's just that.. It's just so much to take in an hour." She shrugged.

"I know, love."  
>They sat there, enjoying each other's company in silence.<p>

"How about I take you out for lunch?" He suddenly asked, making Aria frown.  
>"Um Ezra I think you're forgetting that we can't be seen together."<p>

"Right. Well how about delivery? My treat." He said, then grabbed a phone. She nodded eagerly.

"Jovani's? I've been craving their spaghetti and garlic bread since forever." She laughed, making Ezra smile.

"Jovani's it is. Plus, I know their number by heart." He chuckled and quickly dialed out their number.

"Hi I would like to order a... What? This is Jovani's, right? Oh, sorry ma'am. Wrong number. And I'm sorry about your bunions. Bye." He widened his eyes as he hung up the phone. Aria burst out laughing, her face turning a beet red.

"Bunions?" Her cheeks streamed with tears. Ezra flared his nostrils.

"Know their number by heart? AHA you make me laugh." She chuckled after she finally calmed down. He grabbed a nearby phone book and looked up the real number.

"In my defense, I was only off by a few digits.." He smiled cheekily. Aria's lips turned upwards and eyes sparkled with amusement. After several minutes, he finally ordered their food.

"So... What does Rebecca work as?" She asked, suddenly quite curious.

"She's a therapist." He replied without hesitation. She burst out laughing again.

"A... _therapist_? You have got to be kidding me."

"Well believe it or not, she is."

"How could she be a therapist? She hardly remembers to stop talking!" He narrowed her eyes at her, which made her stop giggling.

"She's actually really good." He responded, putting a book back in a bookshelf.

"How would you know?" She asked, following his steps.

"It's how we met. My mom wasn't happy seeing me unhappy so she took me to a therapist."

"That's interesting."

"You betcha."

"So what'd you do in Connecticut?" She asked, setting a stack of mail into two separate groups: One Spencer's, the other hers.

"I taught for a while. Mainly preschoolers through middle schoolers." He recalled.

"And how did _that_ go?" She smirked, making Ezra raise an eye brow.

"Not as complicated as teaching high school, definitely." He responded.

"Oh really now? What was so complicated about teaching high schoolers?"

"Well, one, many teens did not like even listening to me, two, way too much inefficient work to grade, and three, I dated my student for two years."

She smiled as he wrapped an arm around her.

"You don't know how much I've missed you, Ezra." She said, snuggling up against Ezra's body.

"You don't know how much I've missed calling you mine." He said, making Aria roll her eyes.

"Hey now, I am not yours. Not officially, anyways. You're Rebecca's and you have a ring to prove it." She muttered.

"Well you can be mine if we keep this a secret."

"Please, I have been an absolute expert at keeping secrets. You should know that by now." She smirked, playfully punched Ezra's shoulder, and kissed his cheek. He nodded his head. Just then the doorbell chimed from the doorway. Aria got up, her summer dress up to her knees and flowy, and answered the door. After gratefully taking the food from the delivery man, she marched downstairs to the kitchen, where Ezra was already sitting against the black granite island.

"I can't help but feel that this is so so _so_ wrong, Ezra. I mean in high school it was illegal, sure, but all we had to do was not get caught. This time around.. You have a fiancée. I mean, imagine if she saw us together. She would just feel absolutely _crushed_. And believe me, I know what that feels like." She said, tossing a slice of tomato in her mouth.

"Well she won't find out about us." He snapped.

"Geez. I just don't want her to feel the way I did when you left. Plus, she's carrying your child. Babies are a ton of work to carry around, _especially_ when you're single."

"Are you saying that I'm going to leave her?"

"Well if it's not her, then it's gonna be me. I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but I don't think I'd be able to stay with someone who loves someone else." She said as he took a bite of his garlic bread. It was silent for awhile, the only noise to sound was the occasional slurp of a noodle or crunch of slice of bread.

"I've really got myself screwed, haven't I?" He sighed.

"Pretty much." She replied.

* * *

><p>Let the affair begin, shall we?<p> 


	8. Chapter 8: The Carnival

**Kamusta**! AHHHHHHHH I am so supery dupery excited for tomorrow night, even if we might die! Props to **Iceyhearted** for the nickname 'Preppy Becky' aha I legit laughed for 5 minutes straight. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>WITH ARIA<strong>

Aria set her outfit of the day on her bed, wondering if it would look good on her. Deciding that it would be fine, she called downstairs for Spencer, who was busy munching on some pretzel sticks.

"Hey we're still going to that carnival thing happening in Philly with the girls, right?" She said, waiting for a usual Spencer grunt as a reply. After no response, she raced downstairs to see if Spencer wasn't dying or anything. She saw her busy chewing her finger nails, her eyes closed in concentration.

"Spence? Did you hear me?" She said as she tried lifting Spencer's eyelid. Her eyes instantly flew open, her pupil darting at Aria. She nodded, then spoke, "Yeah at 2:30. Hanna's coming over to pick us up in one of her many cars. She's bringing Lacey."  
>"Oh okay. Should we have a spa day instead? You seem really stressed." Aria commented on Spencer's unusual habits.<p>

"Truth be told, I could really go for a good shiatzu." Spencer sighed, making Aria knit her eyebrows together.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I know. And it's just all this wedding planning. With the wedding in a few months.." Spencer frowned, wrinkles clearly visible.

"Then let's have a spa day!" Aria chirped. "I'll just call the girls and..."  
>Spencer rested her hand on Aria's shoulder.<p>

"No, we're going to Philly, remember?" She said, making Aria groan.

"Then I guess we'll go tomorrow."

"That's right."

Aria headed upstairs and freshened herself up in her denim shorts and ruffled top, adding several layers of necklaces and bracelets for the 'Aria touch'. She pulled her hair in a high ponytail and met up with Spencer, who was now wearing dark wash capris with a strapless top, her hair in a curly pony as well.

"How's the wedding plans going so far, Spence?" She asked, making Spencer sigh.

"It's stressful. I know the wedding is in a few months, but I just want it to be absolutely perfect." She said, fiddling with a plastic ring with a fish on it. Aria nodded sympathetically.

"Well sometimes," She stood up from the couch, "you need to get away from that stress."

"And that's what I'm doing."

"Good girl."

**WITH EZRA**

"Ezra baby can we go to the carnival that's in Philly right now? It's supposed to be sprinkling tomorrow, so we should go today." She asked, batting her long, mascara applied eyelashes. Ezra smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Just give me a minute." He said. Her face lit up when he said that, making his smile broader.  
>He made his way to their car, holding Rebecca's hand in the process.<p>

In the car, Rebecca brought up a re-occuring question.

"How'd your meeting with Aria Montgomery go earlier?" She asked, making Ezra uneasy. He hasn't exactly told her that their job meetings long ended a week ago. However, he did tell her that tomorrow was their last day, so he would have to start making up excuses for the times to come.

"It was great. Her new book is coming along nicely." He stated, making Rebecca smile.

"That's good. I bet you it'll top the best sellers chart within a couple weeks." She commented.

He nodded. "Mhm."

"You know, we never really got to know each other, with that one patient interrupting our planned dinner a few weeks ago." She said, her eyes on the road. He stayed silent.

"We should invite her right now!" She gasped. Ezra looked at her for a second, then back on the road.

"Becca, hun, I think she's busy. She told me about some sort of meeting..." He started, trying to think of another excuse to chain along.

"Oh, of course. Well tomorrow, you should ask her if she wants to go get brunch or something! There's no scheduled appointments in between 11 to 1 for Saturday.." She suggested, making Ezra nervous.

"Alright. Just don't forget to remind me."

**WITH ARIA**

"Ready for this carnival, girls?" Hanna laughed, making the others giggle too.

"Mommy I can't wait!" A little girl with dirty blond braids squealed, making Aria smile.

"We can tell, Alice." Hanna replied to her daughter, who grinned.

"Are you excited, auntie Awia?" She asked, her voice small, but full of excitement.

"Of course Lacey! We'll get you all the stuffed animals in the whole carnival!" Aria responded warmly to the little girl.

"How long do you think it'll be, auntie Emily?" Alice, or Lacey, asked the dark haired, tan skinned woman.

"It'll only be an hour, sweet heart." Emily said, making Lacey groan.

"That's a long time!"

"That's why you should take a nap, Lacey. That way you'll feel refreshed when we get there." Spencer jumped in and gave her a blanket.

"Okay." She yawned and pulled the blanket over her head. Soon, the four women heard soft snoring coming from beneath the clump.

"Aw Han, she's so cute." Aria laughed at Hanna, who was taking over the wheel.

"She's a real pain sometimes. But I love her." She smiled at the sleeping 6 year old in the car seat.

"So I heard that you told Mr. Fitz off!" She said, raising her eyebrow from the front seat.

"Actually, I have some pretty big news. Kinda the opposite, really."

"So big we could faint?" Spencer asked.

"Bigger."

"Then shoot." Emily said from the front.

"Promise not to kill me?" Aria said, waiting for the girls to respond.

"Promise." They all replied.

"Well.. Hmm how do I put this? I'm back with Ezra." She muttered, making Hanna slam the brakes on the unusually empty highway.

"_WHAT_?" They exclaimed in unison.

"You heard me. And Hanna you might wanna pull over or keep driving before we all die." Aria said, her voice low. Hanna obliged to her second command.

"Holy shit Aria. He's _engaged_" Hanna gasped.

"And he's old!" Emily chirped. Aria shot her a glare.

"Sorry."

"It's not like I ever intended for me to get back together with him. I thought he would never come back." She complained while Spencer glowered her gaze at her.

"How in the world did I not _see_ you guys together? I _live_ with you. Damn you guys are sneaky. No wonder you never got caught in high school." Spencer commented.

"Um hello you're forgetting the point here. He's -engaged-" Hanna quietly pointed out, making sure not to wake Lacey.

"We know." The rest of the girls said.

"And uh, that's wrong." She muttered.

"Well, considering the fact that Aria dated our high school English teacher for two years without getting caught, it's not that big of a deal." Emily said.

"Not that big of a deal? Are you _nuts_? He's going to get married eventually!" Hanna practically yelled. Emily shrugged.

"We don't want your heart to get broken again, Aria. And is definitely the best at doing that, breaking your heart." Spencer sighed and looked at Aria.

"I know, you guys. I'll make sure he doesn't break my heart. I can look after myself." She said to the other three ladies. They glanced at her, uncertain.

**WITH EZRA**

"Ooooh Ezzy I can't wait! We're almost there! It's right there!" Rebecca squealed, her voice at a high pitch. Ezra kept his eyes on the road. He's never heard a grown woman so cheerful about going to a carnival.

He stopped at a red light and glanced at the car next to them. His eyes grew large as he started to see the facial features of a young woman who he loved very much. She turned her head and saw him, his jaw unhinged. Her own eyes grew large and gave him a curious gaze. He returned the gaze, they shifted it back on the road ahead of him. The light just turned green so he stepped on the pedal, wondering what the hell just happened.

**WITH ARIA**

"What the.." Aria drew in a sharp breath as she realized the same familiar stunning blue eyes roam her face. It was none other than Ezra himself.

"Hmm?" Hanna mumbled, giving Aria a questionable look.

"It's Mr. Fitz!" Emily gasped.

"What a coincidence." Spencer muttered, leaning over to see what they saw.

"Hold on, I'll text him right now."

"Aria, he's driving."

"Right."

Aria continued to look at the car that was now ahead of them. Hanna switched lanes, making them now directly begin them.

"Miss Preppy Becky was with him, you know." Spencer observed.

"I know." Aria sighed.

"Who's Pweppy Becky?" Lacey suddenly asked.

"Oh Lacey pumpkin, you're awake! And she's just this lady.." Hanna quickly said.

"Oh look, we're here!" Emily nervously laughed. Lacey screamed in delight.

"Look who else is here! Mr. Ezra Fitz and Preppy Becky!" Spencer laughed in a maniacal manner. Aria's green eyes glared at Spencer, who quickly unbuckled her seat belt and practically jumped out of the car. Sure enough, she saw the two soon to be weds' car a few rows away.

"Dammit." She muttered, making sure Lacey didn't hear.

"Can we go on the cawousal first?" Lacey asked, her large blue eyes stared up at Aria.

"Sure thing, sweetie." She replied sweetly to the innocent little child.

* * *

><p>Surprised Hanna has a kid? :P<p> 


	9. Chapter 9: The Carnival: Part two

**Ciao! **I'm sorry for being MIA for the past couple days. I've been so busy lately. Anyways, did you guys see the shirtless Ezra pictures? Ay dios mio (; Aria's one lucky chick. Here's chapter 9, folks.

* * *

><p>After several rides, the five girls sat around a circular table at a nearby restaurant. So far, they managed to steer clear of Ezra and Rebecca until now.<p>

"Aria! Hi!" Aria turned her head to meet the voice greeting her. She saw Rebecca's blond hair in a rhinestone hair band and her body wrapped in a floral dress that stopped just above her knees. She fake smiled, her cheeks full of chewed up ground beef and tortilla chip bits.  
>She tried to sound as peppy as Rebecca.<p>

"Hi you guys!" She piped as chunks of meat and other chewed up edible items flew out her mouth and onto the seat behind her, which was fortunately empty.

"Woops!" She giggled, making Ezra softly snort. Spencer's bony elbow poked deep into her side and gave her a warning stare. Aria ignored the look she was given.

"How funny meeting you here in Philly!" Rebecca's voice, high and peppy, rung through their ears. Ezra stood there by her side, awkwardly staring at the Mexican dancers shook their maracas onstage.

"I know, small world, isn't it?" Aria replied, trying her best to look interested.

"Mommy is that Pweppy Becky?"  
>Lacey yelled. Hanna, with a horrified look plastered on her face, scolded the little girl.<p>

"No! Preppy Becky is someone in a cartoon show, remember?" Hanna shushed.

"Oh okay." Lacey shrugged, her shoulders drooping.

"Hey, you're THEE Hanna Marin! Oh my gosh!" Rebecca squacked.

"That's me." Hanna replied and stood up, shaking Rebecca's tanned hand.

"I just _love_ you're creations! Were you in Ezra's class too?"  
>Hanna smiled and nodded to Rebecca.<p>

"Wow Ezra, you never told me you taught people who became famous! I'm so jealous!" Rebecca exclaimed. Ezra, who looked annoyed at the moment, tugged on her hand and darted his direction to a table far on the other side of the restaurant. Rebecca put on a pout and waved goodbye to the girls. Once the two were out of earshot, the whole table busted out talking.

"Oh my gosh, are you THEE Emily Fields?" Spencer mocked, making the whole table giggle.

"Oh my gosh, are you THEE Spencer Hastings?" Emily beamed back, making them laugh even harder. Lacey, who was indulged in the cheesy nachos in front of her, suddenly spoke up.

"She's weird." She declared.

"I know Lacey, just don't say that in front of strangers or they might get mad." Hanna instructed the little girl. She nodded her head eagerly and chomped on a cheese lathered tortilla chip.

"Did Mr. Fitz even tell you he was coming here today?"

"Will you guys quit it's EZRA. And no." Aria muttered.

"How interesting." Spencer concluded. Her hatred towards Ezra was evident from Aria's point of view, however it seemed to be an oblivious fact to Emily and Hanna. Aria shrugged and continued to munch on her taco, every so often casting a sideways glance at Ezra and Rebecca.  
>Her phone vibrated in her pocket, making her giggle as it tickled her thigh. She checked the bright screen: One new text message.<p>

_What are you doing here?  
><em>

Aria rolled her eyes and felt herself looking at Ezra, who was now engaged in a conversation with his fiancée.

_Hanna's kid really wanted to go._

She replied.

_Meet me behind the dunk tank? I'll get a head start.  
><em>

He texted back, hoping she would accept. He caught her green eyes giving a flicker of agreement. The edges of his lips twitched slightly upwards, making Aria smile.

"Becca, I need to get something out of the car. I think I forgot my sunglasses..." He informed Rebecca, who was busy chewing her burrito furiously. She nodded. He got up from his hot seat and made his way out the door, halting behind the dunk tank wall. Several minutes later, he found himself face to face with Aria. He helped himself to her lush lips.

"Hey there." He smiled, his eyes glistening in the warm summer sun.

"Hi there yourself." She smiled as he kissed her once more.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice, curious and soft, rung through his ears.

"Rebecca decided to go to the carnival last minute. I thought that she only wanted to drop her off at her therapist convention, but I guess not. But good news, she's spending the night here in Philly until tomorrow.. We were going to go tomorrow, but it's supposed to be raining." He replied.

"Ahh."

"So, I've got 15 minutes without Rebecca getting suspicious. What about you, love?" He asked, hoping her answer was something he could tolerate.

"All the time I need. And actually, you might have more time. The girls are covering for us." She said as his hands intertwined with hers.

"You told them?" He widened his eyes.

"Yeah, are you mad?" She asked while looking up into his stormy eyes. He shook his head, making her smile.

"Let's go dominate the games!" She chirped, making him smile in return.

"Alright."

Several carnival games and stuffed animals later, they finally headed back to the restaurant, Ezra to go in first. He sat back at his table across an empty seat. Confused, he looked around and saw Rebecca sitting with the girls, obviously in deep conversation.

"I think we should name the baby..." She said, oblivious to the girls' bored faces. He tapped her shoulder, making her instantly look up.

"Ezra, you startled me!" She exclaimed, her eyes popping.

"Are you done eating? We need to get you to that therapist convention in the city." He asked. She nodded and slowly gathered her things.

"I'll pay and we'll be on our way."

"That whymed!" Lacey shouted, the skin around her mouth covered in cheese. He chuckled, made his way over to the table and hailed a waitress.

After bribing a lady to hide her stuffed animals at a nearby booth, she made her way into the restaurant, where the girls were waiting impatiently at their now clean table.

"What took you so long?" Spencer asked.

"Sorry. Went to play some games with Ezra, bribe a person to keep the stuffed animals in their booth, THEN waited fifteen minutes for Rebecca and Ezra to get out." She muttered, her cheeks flushed a deep pink color.

"Took you long enough." Hanna uttered softly as she fumbled with her earrings.

"Hey, time flies when you're having fun."

"Shut up, you old fart." Spencer laughed. Aria playfully hit her.

"Well it felt like a lifetime to us. You owe us big time for sticking Rebecca with us for a whole hour." Emily puffed.

"Fine then. Movie night in two days?" Aria suggested, earning a nod of approval from each lady.

"Wait. Why two days?" Hanna asked, her eyes shone with curiosity.

"Rebecca's going to be away for a couple hours, so Ezra's staying with me."

"Oh HELL no. I'm going to Toby's tonight then. I don't wanna hear you two shaking the bed or something." Spencer shuddered, earning several giggles.

"I'm fine with that. And for your information, Ezra and I are taking things slow." She sneered, watching Lacey spin around over and over again on the carousal.

"Slow? You guys met in a bar and within the next hour had a nice time making out in a bathroom. Slow is not in your vocabulary, m' dear." Hanna concluded. Aria wrinkled her nose.

"We're trying." She shrugged.

"How long have you two been officially an item?" Emily asked, her hands resting by her side.

"Only a few weeks." Aria casually responded. They all walked to the dunk tank once Lacey was finished and each took a turn at trying to dunk the bearded lady.

"Dammit." She muttered after all the balls failed to hit the target.

* * *

><p><strong>WITH EZRA<strong>

"6:15, sharp!" Rebecca warned her fiancé. Ezra nodded and gave her a kiss.

"Have fun."

"It's a therapist convention, I'm sure I'll have _loads_ of fun." She chuckled, kissed him, then walked through the front doors of the small building. He strode his was over to his car and began to text Aria.

_Are you still at the carnival?_

He texted her, hoping she was still there.

_Yeah, but the girls are ready to pack up and go to the mall._

He knitted his eyebrows together.

_Do you think they'd mind if I take you home?_

_I'll ask._

Ezra waited.

_**Ding!**_

_I can go. Are you picking me up?_

_Of course! I'll be there in fifteen minutes_

* * *

><p>He drove around the city easily and quickly found Aria, equipped with three stuffed animals, standing by the entrance of the carnival. He gave her a kiss. She smiled as he tugged her hand away from the busy crowd, safely making it to his car. He began to drive.<p>

"Your friends know that I'm taking you home, right?" He asked, his eyes directly on the road.  
>She nodded, then took his hand into hers.<p>

"So where are we going, Mr. Fitz?" She grinned.

"Somewhere.." He said vaguely.

"Ezra!" She whined. She was not a particular fan of surprises.

"You'll see." He winked.

* * *

><p>Any ideas?<p> 


	10. Chapter 10: Popcorn and Pancakes

**Hoi! **I am so, so, so sorry you guys :( I was on a trip for a few days and I didn't have my laptop, so I couldn't post any new chapters. I could only write in the plane and sometimes in the hotel, but other then that, I didn't really write at all. I tried, trust me, and that's how this chapter came to be really, really long. It was actually two, but ended in one. It's not that it really matters, since you guys really deserve it. Anyways, I'll stop my blabbering like Rebecca does and let you guys read the chapter.

P.S. I bet you that half of you don't even read my little memos. Haha.

* * *

><p>Ezra's car pulled up in a small parking lot that was only packed with a few other cars. Aria looked around cautiously.<p>

"Where are we?" She asked as he linked his arm with hers.

"I actually have no idea." Ezra nervously chuckled. She looked at him, he'd expression blank.

"What?" He said, his face turning a bit pink.

"You don't know where we are?" She exclaimed. He nodded.

"Well I _do_ know where we are, just don't know what we're supposed to do. I heard a bunch of people talking about how great this place is on the radio. They never said what this place was."

"Really."  
>His head bobbed up and down.<p>

"Then why aren't there many cars?"

"Maybe people carpooled?"

"Yeah, right."

He led her outside the car and through several bushes. He shot through a tree, gasped for some breath, and let his eyes fall on the scenery before them. There was a large, brick building with moving pictures playing on one of its walls and cars facing it. To the side there lay another identical building, this one smaller, with few people serving popcorn and drinks to teens and elderly people. Some were heading in their cars, some were getting out. Aria looked around, shocked.

"I've always wanted to go to one of these things!" She squealed, her voice unusually high. Ezra himself was in shock for he also wanted to go to one.

"Let's go, it looks like the movie hasn't begun. We'll just get in the car and find its entrance..." He said while looking for a place accessible to cars. After finally spotting one, he tugged on Aria's hand, who was still absorbed in the unusual setting. They made their way back to his car and drove into the drive-in movie theater properly. He payed the young man with freckles the fee they needed to get into there and drove right in.

"Popcorn?"

"You bet."

Ezra walked up to the stand, where a burly man with bushy eyebrows sat on a stool, chewing on a candy bar.

"One medium popcorn, please." He asked as the man tossed the now empty candy wrapper on the floor. The man nodded and gave him his order. He made his way past the cluster of cars to his, where Aria was waiting patiently.

"Miss Montgomery, will you please hold the popcorn, madam?"

"Of course, you fine lad." She smirked. She held the popcorn as he slid into the car, then he took it and settled the popcorn in between them.

"What movie are we watching?" She asked, her eyes on an old preview. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no idea."

"Well that's just great."

The movie, a mid-1990s classic, ended with a man feeding ducklings with his curly haired lady. However it was one of the few moments they could catch, seeing that most of their time consisted of steamy make out sessions in the back of Ezra's car. After the movie ended, the couple easily departed the drive-in movie and headed back to Rosewood. In the car, the two continued small chit-chat.

"That was really fun, Ezra." She genuinely smiled, her hair in a bit of a mess from their earlier intimacy.

"I'm glad you liked it." He replied, his hair equally tousled about.

"Tomorrow might be our last day alone." He shuddered, making her frown.

"Not unless we do something about it." She sighed.

An hour passed as the two pulled up into Ezra's condo, which happened to be semi across Aria's. He grabbed some pajamas and a toothbrush while Aria patiently waited in the car. She glanced at her empty driveway, indicating Spencer's declaration earlier. She chuckled softly to herself and watched as Ezra locked the front door. They then drove into her own driveway and got out of his car.

"What do you wanna do?" She asked, plopping onto her couch beside him. He kissed her lips, pulling away with a lush pop. He proceeded down to her neck, making Aria shudder. As much as she was loving it, she pulled away.

"Slow, remember?" She said, her breaths short and prompt. He nodded, obviously wanting more.

"Sorry." He sighed and plucked himself off the couch. He grabbed his clothes and turned his back to her, putting them on slowly. Her jaw dropped. After he was done, she plopped herself on his lap and they began to cuddle.

"What do you _really_ wanna do?" She chuckled.

"You know what I wanna do, Aria." He chuckled back.

"Yep, I sure do." She snickered, then watched as his facial expression changed.

"Let's just watch another movie, then." He painfully nodded his head. She put in one of their favorites in her TV, began to watch the storyline unfold, and soon settled herself in his strong arms. In the middle of the movie, pieces of clothing began to leave each others' bodies. One thing led to another and soon they lay on her bed, naked and soundless, sleeping in each others' arms.

Ezra woke up the following morning to the smell of blueberry banana pancakes; His favorite. He immediately got up, found his discarded clothes and put them on, and quietly snuck downstairs and into the kitchen, where Aria was steadily cooking up his favorite breakfast.

"Good morning, my love." He yawned and put his arms around her fragile frame. She turned around, startled.

"Good morning to you too." She giggled, then fed him a small portion of the pancake. He devoured the slice in pure ecstasy.

"Yum" He murmured and smiled happily. Aria laughed and handed him a plate.

"Don't eat them too fast! Or you'll get chunky!" She called as he sat on her island.

"I won't!" He chuckled and began to salvage it.

"I don't believe you." She scoffed playfully and sat next to him with her own plate.

"So what time do you have to go back to Philly?" She asked, disappointment already evident in her eyes.

"5:00 pm." He said and stuffed another fork full in his mouth.

"Ah." Truth be told, she _hated_ sharing her man with someone. No lady would, even if one of them doesn't know. She forked her pancakes in thought, making Ezra notice her sudden mood change.

"What's wrong?" He asked and grabbed her hand.

"Nothing." She said, obviously trying to dodge the subject on her mind. He gave her a look of reassurance.

"Okay, okay. This might sound really selfish, but... In all honesty I _hate_ having to share you with someone else. This is ten times worst than disobeying the law by dating your high school English teacher, for me, anyway." She sighed and plunged a slice into her mouth. He stayed silent, making her impatient.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how hard this would be for you." He finally spoke. She concentrated on her pancake.

"But Aria, I hope you know that I did once love her. Maybe not as much as I did to you, but enough for me to care about her." He stated.

"I know that!" She snapped. "Sorry, I actually didn't."

A thick haze of silence entered the room.

"If it makes you feel any better... I never stopped loving you." He softly spoke, nothing but love in those swirling clouds of gray we call eyes.

"I tried moving on, Ezra. But I just couldn't. It hurt too much." She plucked herself off the stool and placed her dirty dish in the sink. He did the same and gave her a short, but sweet, kiss.

"I actually found success in that department. But it took a while for me to realize it wasn't you I was kissing." He sighed, reminiscing the days he'd picture Aria instead of Rebecca during the longest of hugs and shortest of dates. This made Aria's eyebrows rise.

"Really?"

"Really."

* * *

><p><strong>Fast forward a week<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>WITH EZRA<strong>

"Ezra, hurry up or we'll be late!" Rebecca shouted from the top of the staircase. He quickly finished his coffee and headed upstairs where Rebecca was impatiently tapping her foot.

"Let's go!" He rushed to get his coat on and opened the door, first letting Rebecca out. He slammed the door and headed into the car.

They arrived at the doctor's clinic with only 5 minutes to spare. Rebecca's silver heels clacked against the tiled floor.

"Rebecca Clyde." The receptionist called, a bored expression written across her face. They excused themselves out of the waiting room and went into the doctor's office.

"Hello! Rebecca Clyde?" Doctor Sue asked, her large gray eyes staring at Rebecca, who nodded.

"And this must be Mr. Clyde?" Doctor Sue asked once again, however neither of them responded with something that indicated a yes.

"Actually, it's Fitz." He politely said, giving a small smile. The doctor nodded thoughtfully and asked Rebecca several questions. She answered them completely and as honestly as she could.

"Okay sweetie, now this might feel a little cold." The doctor stated as she squirt gel-like liquid onto Rebecca's bare belly.

**WITH ARIA**

Drumming her fingers across the silver keys, Aria looked up at the screen, puzzled. Her last novel's climax included the protagonist's knowledge of never finding any potential happiness; whereas in the novel she was writing currently involved finding happiness with all that frilly, sparkly fluff she usually hated. Spencer walked into her office, a bowl of rice and chicken adobo in her hands.

"Thanks Spence." She drawled as the delicious scent drifted throughout the room.

"No problem." Spencer replied, placing the bowl and necessary utensils on a stack of books that grew so tall it was eventually used as her snack surface.

"Hey, could you read this chapter? Does it sound too... Cliche or something?" She asked as Spencer pulled up a small, white stool and sat next to her.

"Sure." Spencer began to read the chapter, wasting her a good 15 minutes on it's small font text and pages. She turned to Aria, her jaw propped open.

"Aria, what _is_ this?"

"Oh my god, you hate it."

"No! I love it! But what I'm trying to tell you is what _happened_ to you? In your last book the character got her heart broken, big time. In some of your other novels that haven't been published, it's all the same eerie, tragic plot with different twists.. With this one.. It's so.. _happy_." Spencer observed, her eyes scanning the pages once more. Aria took it all in, amazed at how different her work has been.

"It sounds so... Gross." She croaked, her finger yearning for the 'backspace' key.

"No! It's really good. I just can't wrap my head around this new found happiness and unicorn plot, you know?"

"So it's crap?"

"Did you not just hear me?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I love it, so shut up."

**WITH EZRA**

"Okay Rebecca, I'll see you next month!" Doctor Sue called as the two departed the clinic with handfuls of magazines. Ezra drove onto the road.

"Look Ezra, here it says that by month four, my morning sickness will start to fade. Thank God." Rebecca smiled and held onto Ezra's hand. Rebecca was unusually happy about the downsides of pregnancy: Food cravings, morning sickness, headaches, food aversions. She enjoyed it, so it seemed to Ezra. It felt like she wasn't even carrying a child, but it was clearly evident that she was in the ultrasound picture of their child. However, every once in a while he'd see her throw up at the smell of anything at all, and sometimes she'd turn into a total bitch from an emotional meltdown to a fuming dragon. Some symptoms came very often, like her food cravings and aversions. Perhaps her unusual happiness had something to do with him not ever being on time getting home, but who knows?

"It feels like you aren't ever home, Ezzy." Rebecca whined, as if she read his mind. He frowned.

"I'm sorry." Ezra said, truly apologetic.

"How about we go on a picnic?" She piped, hoping he would say yes. He nodded, making her grin.

"Yay! Oh, I have an idea! How about we invite Aria Montgomery? I really want to discuss her book with her." Rebecca suggested, making Ezra fidget as he drove.

"Only if she's not busy…" He bit his lip. She got out his phone and flipped through his contacts, finally finding her through the clusters of A's. She punched in her number.

"Ezra?" Aria, who answered on the second ring, asked.

"Oh no, this is Rebecca. We were wondering if you wanted to go on a picnic with us, in say, 3 hours? I'll text you where." She blabbered, making Aria widen her eyes.

"Um, sure. I'll just get ready then." She said, stopping her fingers from typing.

"Great! We'll see you soon!" Rebecca hung up, beaming. Ezra looked over at her, shocked. He already knew that this was going to be a very long day.

* * *

><p>I am debating whether I should put a little shifty drama in this story. I feel as if it's too boring as of now... Hmmm.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11: Eagle Park

**Hallo! **I have absolutely nothing to do today so I decided to write you guys a chapter (: Enjoy

* * *

><p>"Spencer!" Aria ran downstairs and barged into Spencer's room, where Spencer was busy reading a book, her hand on her belly.<p>

"Help me." She moaned, getting on her knees. Spencer set down her book and looked at Aria, puzzled.

"Rebecca just invited me to go on a picnic with her and Ezra."

Spencer said nothing.

"Spencer, are you pregnant?" Aria gasped, her eyes scanning the pregnancy book.

"No!" Spencer quickly fired back, pushing the book quickly aside.

"Then why do you have that book?" She darted her eyes directly at the large book, then at Spencer.

"Fine. I was just thinking about how great it would be if Toby and I started a family soon... I mean I'm getting so old."

"You're 25."

"Still."

They sat there in silence until Aria finally spoke up.

"What should I wear?" She asked.

"Sorry, I can't help you with that, you know that." Spencer scoffed and recalled all the times Aria complained about how un-Aria-like and more Spencer-like the outfits she put together were.

"Sorry." She tiptoed out the room and into her own, then picked out a simple outfit. After she freshened up, she glanced at the clock: 2:00 PM, one more hour to kill.

**WITH EZRA**

"Where do you wanna go, Ez?" Rebecca asked as she applied some more lip gloss to her pink lips.

"I don't know, Becca." He responded, hoping she would change her mind about this picnic.

"Oooh how about that park around the corner of Jay Avenue, where it's across that Subway restaurant? That way we could get sandwiches there instead of packing some." She chirped. Ezra nodded.

"I think it's called Eagle Park, or something." She said vaguely, clacking her loose flats on the wood flooring. Ezra nodded again, wondering why it sounded so familiar.

**3:00 P.M.**

"Aria! Hey!" Rebecca smiled at the petite, dark haired woman in a short summer dress that flattered her curves. Aria waved and sat down on the checkered picnic blanket next to Rebecca.

"We were thinking about going to the Subway down the street to get some sandwiches, if that's alright with you." Rebecca said, directing her eyes over to the Subway she was talking about. Aria politely nodded.

"Okay, great! You and Ezra can get the sandwiches while I stay here and guard the rest of our belongings. Ezra, just get me a turkey melt, please." She smiled and watched the two leave, side by side, to the small yellow restaurant.

"Sorry Aria, I did _not _plan this, trust me." He spoke as they continued to walk to the small yellow subway restaurant.

"I know." She sighed. He let their fingers intertwine with each others as Rebecca's view of them vanished. They continued up the hill and into the restaurant, taking their place in line.

"I don't get why Eagle Park sounds so familiar to me." He said, scratching his head with his free hand. Aria's eyes suddenly grew dark, remembering what he couldn't.

_**Flashback**_

"_I can't see anything." Aria complained as Ezra took her hand into his. _

"_That's why I brought night vision goggles." Ezra chuckled and put his on, then handed her another pair._

"_You do know that we look ridiculous, right?" Aria snickered as she put hers on as well._

"_It's not like anyone can see us in the dark, anyways."He replied and led her to the swings. _

"_Sit. Come on, I'll push you." He said and pat on a swing._

"_Alright." Aria giggled and felt the wind in her hair as she began pumping her legs along as Ezra pushed. After several minutes of calming silence, Aria began to wonder if it was truly time to tell him about their baby._

"_Ezra, I- I have to tell you something." Aria said, her voice soft and fragile._

"_Yes, love?" He asked, curiosity enveloping his mind. She knit her mouth shut. Maybe this isn't the best time to tell him, she thought. She jumped off the swing and tapped his shoulder. _

"_You're it!" She giggled as he chased her, night vision goggles and all._

_**End of Flashback**_

Tears stung Aria's eyes as she realized that if she just told him the truth, none of this mess would have exploded.

"What's wrong, love?" He asked, looking into her pain stricken eyes.

"I should have…" Aria began.

"Welcome to Subway, what can I get for you today?" A teenager with the face alike to a pizza, asked. They watched as he put together their sandwiches, which took about 10 minutes. The two left the building and walked to the park, where Rebecca was absorbed into her phone, texting someone. She looked up at the two and smiled cheekily as her fiancé gave her the turkey melt.

"Thank you, babe." Aria cringed as Rebecca grinned happily and took a bite.

"So, Aria, how have you been? How's the new book coming along?" Rebecca asked after gulping down a bite of the sandwich.

"Me and the book are doing good. I have to go to New York for a month for publicity in August, I think." Aria replied, making Ezra jerk his head over to her. She ignored him.

"That's awesome! I'll be around 5 months during that time!" Rebecca chirped.

"Congrats on the baby, by the way." Aria said, hoping her optimism disguised her disgust. She took a bite out of her sandwich and stared hard at the ground.

"Aria, I can't help but notice how distant you look right now. Is there something bothering you?" Rebecca asked, giving her the 'therapist' voice.

"It's nothing." Aria mumbled, watching as Ezra picked at his tomatoes.

"Hun, I'm a therapist, I know when something's up."

_Obviously not enough to pick up that your FIANCE is cheating on you with ME,_ Aria thought.

"Honestly Rebecca, it's nothing." Aria said, making sure she sounded as honest as possible. Rebecca carefully nodded her head.

"So, how did you and Ezra meet?" Rebecca asked. Even though she already knew, she wanted to hear it again, just in case.

"He was my high school English teacher. The best one out of all my high school years." Aria said, smiling.

"Yeah, she was an excellent student. She got A's every time, I recall." He finally spoke, making Rebecca raise her eyebrows.

"That's probably why you became such a successful author!" Rebecca cooed.

"And it's all thanks to Mr. Fitz!" Aria praised. They sat there in silence, munching on their sandwich subs.

After an hour, the three learned how to easily flow into conversation without any awkwardness. Ezra and Aria especially became closer, laughing and sputtering out stupid lines. This got Rebecca to finally shut up and stare at them in confusion, wondering how the thick line she thought lay between them was crossed without much hesitation.

"So, Aria, do you have a boyfriend?" Rebecca asked. Aria did not see this coming.

"No…"

"Kids?"

Aria closed her eyes tightly.

"No." She whispered, refusing to make any eye contact with Ezra. He looked at her, his heart in pain. Rebecca stared at the two, suspicion rising in her eyes.

"Oh dear. I know this is really none of my business, but is there something that happened with you and having kids, or…?" Rebecca asked, suddenly curious.

"I-I had a miscarriage a few years back." The words slipped out of Aria's mouth unintentionally. Ezra's eye's showed nothing but pain. This was not unnoticed by Rebecca.

"Oh my gosh, I am so _so _sorry." Rebecca cried, wrapping her arms around Aria's petite figure. Aria sat there, befuddled at what just happened.

_**The next day**_

"She's up to something, Aria. She keeps on asking me questions about you… us." Ezra burst into Aria's condo, where she was busy writing chapter 24 on her laptop.

"What? Who?" Aria asked and looked up, bewildered.

"Rebecca." He said, throwing himself onto her couch.

"Just tell her that we were a thing for a while, then. If it'll get her to shut up, then why not?"

Ezra stared at her in disbelief.

"_What?_"

"It's not like she's going to suspect we're a thing, now." Aria said, wondering if it was true. She opened her mouth again.

"Actually, that would be a very bad idea. Forget what I said." She nervously chuckled.

"Aria.. What happened at subway? You just.." Ezra started. Aria looked up.

"I should have told you at the park years ago." She whispered, shut her laptop close, and set it down on the coffee table.

"Tell me what?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

"That I was pregnant."

_**The following evening**_

"You seem to really admire and get along with Aria, babe." Rebecca started while she chopped up carrots.

"Aria used to be my girlfriend." He blurted out.

Shit.


	12. Chapter 12: The Truth & Spencer's dress

**Ei! **Sorry for not posting yesterday (You guys should know by now that I post every other day.) It was my best friend's birthday yesterday so I spent the whole day with her (: And the climax should be around chapter 15-20, and it's a b i g one. Muahahahaha. And I'm really struggling to get this story along to the climax, so that kinda delays me a little -.- Try to enjoy this boring chapter!

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><p>Rebecca put the knife she was holding down and slowly turned to him.<p>

"Sorry, _what_?" She half yelled, then gave him a long look. He stayed silent.

"She.. Was.. Your ex girlfriend?" She asked, trying to remain calm; It was clearly not working. He nodded.

"Why didn't you just _tell_ me the damn truth?" She fumed, making Ezra shrink in his chair.

"Because our whole relationship was illegal." He muttered, avoiding eye contact with her.

"_Illegal_? Oh my gosh Ezra Fitz. You have some MUCH needed explaining to do." She demanded and pointed to the family room. He got up from his seat and sat on an ottoman, scared.

"Becca, please, don't be so mad. It's bad for the baby." He pleaded and watched as her face soften a little.

"Okay... But please, just tell me the truth." She sighed, and then plopped down onto the couch.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Keep going."

"Alright, alright. Aria and I... We met in a bar right before her junior year. I didn't know she was in high school, I promise. She led me on and made me think she was in college. We talked about our experiences abroad and, we sort of went on from there. The next day I found out she was my student, and I tried to break it with her, I really did, but it just didn't work. We just kept on coming back to each other, no matter how many times we tried to break up." He sighed. Rebecca nodded like the therapist she was.

"It sounds like you guys loved each other so much it was too much for you to be away from each other..." She whispered and bit her lip, her eyes watering up a bit.

"I did love her very much, but not anymore Becca. I love you now." He said, knowing that every word in that sentence was a lie. He _still_ loves her and he's fallen out of love with Rebecca. She looked at him, long and hard.

"How long were you guys together?" She asked, her voice small and hardly recognizable.

"... Two years, just after her graduation, then I left her." He said, pain stabbing him right in the eye.

"You left her?" She gasped and stared at him, plunging herself knee deep into disbelief. He nodded.

"But... Why? You guys loved each other." She questioned, making him cringe. He really should've kept his mouth shut.

"My mom was sick, remember? She was dying." He said, frowning.

"Did you tell her you were leaving?"

He shook his head, making her gasp.

"Would you leave me like you left her?" She whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Never." He assured her, not knowing if he spoke the truth or not.

**WITH ARIA**

"This is the dress, it _has_ to be." Aria coaxed, only making Spencer frown.

"No, no." Spencer disagreed and slid back into the dressing room, making Aria moan.

"Are you my maid of honor or not?" Spencer snapped, making Aria shrink"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Can we at least get something to eat? I'm starving." Aria asked.

"Fine. _You_ can do that, I'll stay here with Danica." Spencer declared. Aria sighed.

"Alright. I'm going to get a salad or something, I'll get you one too."

Spencer walked out of the dressing room and nodded, heading over to Danica, the lady in charge of altering any of the dresses in the large store.

"And while you're out, can you go find Hanna and Emily? They've been gone for an hour." Spencer asked as Aria strolled out of the store after nodding.

"I wonder why, Spence." She mumbled to herself. Spencer, who's been trying on dresses since 1 PM, complained of every small thing each dress had; each either too _ruffly_, too _sequiny_, too _flowy_. Aria, who's been sick of each little complaint by 3 PM, clacked her heels across the pavement of one of Rosewood's busiest streets, 5th Avenue. She pummeled through the crowd of pedestrians and into a small store selling organic, vegetarian foods. There, she found Hanna and Emily, talking near the loaves of wheat bread. Aria pulled a chair next to them.

"Thanks for leaving me with Spencer, guys." She snorted, making the girls grin.

"She's been so crabby lately, it's contagious." She muttered.

"That's why we left." Hanna smirked, then gave Emily a satisfied look"

"Well she's being picky. I don't understand why you can't just design her a dress, Han." Aria complained, making Hanna roll her eyes.

"_Because_ I don't need any of that craziness right now. Lacey is getting her vaccines and then we're going to New York for a bit for some fashion business I need to take care of."

"So? Her wedding is in two months!" Aria said, giving Emily a look.

"Yeah Han, I'm sure she'd love it." Emily smiled. Hanna rolled her eyes.

"At least think about it." Aria called as she got up and picked out two salad containers, payed, and waited for the two to pay for their own items. After 5 long minutes, the three girls strolled out of the store and hurried into the boutique, where Spencer was yet again examining the dress she was wearing from head to toe.

"It looked better on the mannequin..." Spencer mumbled, then spotted the girls approaching her.

"That's gorgeous Spencer." Emily gushed and sat down on a long, white sofa.

"You know, Spence, I think Hanna would make you a _great _dress." Aria smirked as Hanna gave her a death glare. Spencer turned to Hanna.

"That's right…" Spencer said, clapping her hands together. "Will you, Han?"

Hanna nodded, a glum look falling upon her face. Aria laughed evilly and gave Emily a high five.

**WITH EZRA**

"I don't want you hanging out with Aria anymore, Ezra." Rebecca suddenly spoke, making Ezra stop chewing his food. They were at the dinner table, eating one of Rebecca's specialties.

"Rebecca. Aria and I are just friends." He said calmly, however on the inside, he was about to explode.

"I know… But what if those feelings you had back then come back?" She asked, forking a green bean.

"They won't Becca."

_Because they already have._

"I still don't want you hanging out with her anymore…" Rebecca said simply, angering Ezra.

"You can't do that Rebecca. We're good friends, and we can't just let it go." He said, trying to keep his temper.

"I suppose… I just don't wanna lose you, especially to her." She whispered, tossing around food bits on her plate.

"You won't."

"But—"

"You _won't._"

"I can't help but ask… but was the baby she was supposed to have… yours?" Rebecca asked, changing the subject completely. This took him by surprise.

"I… I don't know." He lied. She gave him a look.

"Yes, it was mine."

"And how'd you find out?"

"Um… She told me."

"When?"

"Rebecca."

"What? Just curious."

"Well whenever I mentioned our baby she would always just fall apart… She told me eventually." He lied yet again. However, this seemed to finally shut Rebecca up. He sighed and ate some rice, hoping she believed him.

**Two weeks later**

Aria sat at her desk, sulking. Ezra wouldn't return any of her texts, making her worry constantly. She'd look out her window and see Ezra mowing the lawn with Rebecca basking in the sun, or Ezra biking around while Rebecca sat on their porch swing, reading. Aria spent her time writing in her office, her book finally getting around to an Aria feel again. There was never a time where Ezra wasn't on her mind.

_Ding Dong_!

"I'll get it!" Spencer yelled, then opened the door. There stood Ezra.

"What are _you _doing here?" Spencer asked, narrowing her eyes at him. He slipped past her.

"I'm here to see Aria." He said as he took his shoes off and headed into her office. Spencer shrugged and headed back into the living room.

"Hi." Aria spun around in her chair and faced Ezra.

"Hi." She responded slowly.

"What… Where…" She started, but was interrupted as Ezra gave her a long kiss.

"I'm sorry, love. So sorry. Rebecca's been so suspicious lately ever since I told her we were together in high school and…" Ezra began to explain, but Aria soon interrupted.

"You _told _her when I specifically told you to brush my stupid thought _away?_" She fumed. Ezra did not see this coming.

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><p>Ohh, Aria's mad. ;P<p> 


	13. Chapter 13: The breakup

**Nomoscaar**! It feels like I've been neglecting my fellow readers by being too busy and, in rare situations of spare time, procrastinating. I know it's only been two days, but I still feel really bad :( Sorry again, I'll try my best to post on time next time. Enjoy! ... Or not.

P.S. So sorry I posted the wrong chapter earlier, here's the REAL chapter 13 :P

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><p>"I'm sorry! It just.. Slipped out. " He said sheepishly.<p>

"So then she locked you up for two whole weeks watching your every move?" Aria scoffed.

"I didn't want her to get any more suspicious then she already was... Can I just start from the beginning?" Ezra muttered and slumped onto a couch. She nodded, a signal giving him a go.

"Okay so I accidentally told her about you being my ex and she exploded because we were illegal and sent me into a room to talk... Then I told her about us six years ago and she, being the therapist she is, began to understand a bit and knew that we loved each other... Still love each other, but she doesn't know that. Anyways, she began to ask questions about why I left you..." His voice cracked. "And if the baby you were supposed to have was mine and..."

"Did you tell her?" Aria suddenly interrupted. He fidgeted.

"Yes. She wouldn't stop bugging me and-"

"Ezra... I... Don't know what to feel about you telling her about us back then. Especially about our baby." She whispered, turning her back away from him at her desk.

"I didn't mean to tell her..." He started.

"But you did anyways. You could have lied like you've been doing these past weeks." She sneered, making Ezra shudder.

"Aria, I wasn't-"

"I don't think I can go on with this relationship anymore, Ezra." She spoke, her fingertips brushing the smooth surface. She bit her lip and stared hard at her computer screen, trying to prevent the tears from falling. This was it. She's cracked.

"Aria... No baby you can't... I love you." He pleaded, getting up from the couch and spinning her chair around so she was facing him. She hid her face with her bangs.

"But you love her too." She whispered softly, making his heart crack. He pushed her bangs away, revealing her tear glazed eyes.

"I love you more, though." He tried reasoning. It was true; he loved her more than life itself.

"It's not enough, Ezra. In the end... We were all going to get hurt; Rebecca, you, me, your baby. It would be easier if we just ended now, that way, no one has to get hurt. Let's just forget about these past couple weeks." She said, her voice barely audible. He looked deep into her eyes.

"Aria... How is it that no one can get hurt when you're clearly hurting now?" He softly asked, brushing away a few strands of hair from her face.

"It's easier if it's only one person."

"But there's two people." He croaked, choking back tears. He didn't want to lose her again.

"Ezra... Just trust me on this. Leave, go be with Rebecca. She needs you right now more than ever. It's not right being with me while you're with her."

He couldn't believe his ears and stared at her.

"Aria, I love you so much that I'd be willing to risk _everything_ for you. I broke the law to be with you." He choked, grabbing her small hands. She let the tears fall.

"Ezra, just go. Stop making this harder than it is already. If you truly love me, then you'll leave right now." She whispered, pulling her hands away from his. He nodded painfully, walked out the door, and jogged back home. He slumped onto the sofa and cried, even with Rebecca murmuring soft thoughts to a depressed lady right below him in her office.

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><p>"Aria!" Spencer yelled, then barged into her office.<p>

"Dinners rea..." She looked at Aria, her eyes red and swollen and fingers rapidly typing.

"What happened?" She asked, taking a seat next to her.

"I broke up with Ezra." Aria sniffled. Spencer took a look at the computer and saw about a million words magically appear onto the screen in about a minute. Her jaw dropped.

"Oh my god. Tell me what happened between you two." Spencer gently said, trying to focus on Aria and not the computer. Aria stayed silent and continued to type, the words a never ending stream. Spencer sat there, shocked. The last time she saw her type this fast was after she lost the baby...

_**Flashback**_

"Aria, where are you?" Spencer asked, looking around Aria's room. She finally found her, knees bunched up and eyes swollen with tears, sitting by her window with the blinds shut. She peeked up at Spencer.

"Hey Spence." She said, which were the first words she said during the whole week.

"What happened..." Spencer asked, worried. Aria spilled her heart out, letting out an occasional sob when necessary. Spencer rubbed her back, nodding and cooing when needed.

"I killed my baby..." Aria finished, swallowing a thick sob.

"Aria, no you didn't. Your body just couldn't handle the stress that was put down on you..." Spencer tried reasoning, even though she knew it was all Ezra's fault. She didn't try giving Aria any more stress then she already had.

"Besides, you aren't ready to become a teen mother..." Spencer said, making Aria furious.

"I may not or I may be ready to be a teenage mother but nonetheless I love my baby." Aria lashed, burying her face with her hands.

"I never said you didn't!" Spencer snapped.

"Aria you really shouldn't be bottling up all these feelings..." Spencer said, calming down. Aria bit her lower lip.

"You should really just let it all out." Spencer said. Aria looked at her, curious.

"But how?" She asked, wiping the remaining tears away from her cheeks.

"I don't know... You like writing, right? How about write a short story for a little?" Spencer reasoned.

Aria got up from her spot and sat on her bed, her laptop on her lap and Spencer by her side. She opened a word document and started typing, her fingers all at a speedy motion. Spencer stared at her, awestruck.

"Holy shit Aria. You've only been going for a minute and you've written a page and a half."

Aria ignored her.

"Aria... Ariiiiiaaaa... Are you there?" Spencer tried catching her attention, but failed miserably.

"I'll just leave you here to spill out all your feelings then..." She said slowly and got up, heading to the door.

"Spencer, wait." Aria called, her eyes still red and puffy. Spencer halted. "Thank you." She smiled, the first one she flashed since Ezra's sudden disappearance. Spencer smiled back.

"No problem."

_**End of Flashback.**_

"Aria, get up. We're going out with the girls." Spencer declared, holding out her hand for Aria to grab. Aria looked at her.

"Why?" She sniffled, then saved her work and shut the computer off.

"You need to." Spencer said, helping Aria up from her seat.

"Alright. Just give me an hour or two." Aria sighed.


	14. Chapter 14: Thane Baker

**Hi! **I've been thinking... that maybe I'll start posting every two days. That's what the cycle kinda turned out to be, so yeah. And I'm sorry again for this terrible chapter. Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I'm a bit dead from lack of sleep right now. Only posting because I love you guys :) Enjoy!

**P.S**. Pretty Little Liars season 2 premiere on Tuesday! WHO'S EXCITED?

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><p>For three weeks, Aria stayed as far as possible away from Ezra. Spencer took her out whenever she found Aria secluded in her room, crying her eyes out.<p>

Ezra, on the other hand, was writing his own novel, however, very poorly. He was there whenever Rebecca complained of headaches and the way the food smelled, not enjoying the ride one bit. Rebecca would talk non-stop about their wedding. They decided to have it on August 23rd, the day her great grandparents got married. Other than that, Ezra got to know his child more and more.

With Spencer, Aria managed to withstand her sanity as long as they were outside the house with the other girls. One day, while Spencer was busy running wedding plans, they came across a little flower boutique on 3rd street. The two went in, sniffing and admiring all the flowers. Aria bent down to smell a rose, then rose back up to find her head colliding into someone's nose.

"Sorry!" Aria squeaked, nervously trying to find a tissue for the man's bloody nose. She looked up and saw dark green eyes and a now crooked nose that belonged to a well toned, but not too toned, man with dark brown hair. It was shaggy, but not too shaggy, and he wore a white shirt that fit him well. After scrambling around the store for a tissue, she finally found a box of them and handed it to him, who, fortunately, had a handkerchief to dab the blood away.

"I'm so sorry." Aria said apologetically, shifting her gaze to a couple white lilies that Spencer was looking at. One glance at Spencer's face and you could already tell she was trying her best not to burst out laughing.

"It's alright." The man assured. Spencer whipped her head over to his voice, a shocked expression on her face.

"Thane Baker?" She gasped, making her way over to the two.

"Spencer, hi." Thane, the man with the shaggy brown hair, said politely.

"Oh my gosh, do you work here? What are you doing back in Rosewood?" Spencer asked, glancing at Aria, who decided to shield herself by not talking.

"Yes, I do work here. And I'm only back for the summer. I go back to med school in the fall." Thane said, moving his nose around.

"That's awesome! Thane, meet Aria. Aria, meet Thane. Thane here used to be my best friend in kinder garden. I'm not sure if you remember him from Mrs. Belle's class." Spencer introduced. Aria politely nodded, completely humiliated about his potentially broken nose. He mirrored her movement and shook her hand.

"We should catch up! How about you spend lunch with us tomorrow? I'll give you my number, here." Spencer blabbered, making herself sound like Rebecca. Aria snorted. Thane glanced at her.

"Okay, sounds good. Well I'll see you tomorrow." He said, vanishing off into the back of the boutique. Spencer and Aria left the store.

"Oh my gosh, when did he turn into such a hottie?" Spencer gushed, making Aria roll her eyes.

"Spence, you're engaged." Aria smirked.

"So you're coming with me. I'll bring Toby. It's a double date!" Spencer cheered, making Aria frown.

"I don't think so." Aria chuckled nervously.

"Come on, it's the least you can do after almost breaking his nose. Plus you have to get out more." Spencer reasoned.

"Fine. And it's not my fault I'm not over him." Aria sighed, making her way over to the passenger seat of Spencer's car.

"I'm sorry Aria. You don't have to go if you don't want to…"

"No, no! I'll go."

"Oh so you do like him?" Spencer smirked. Aria playfully pushed her and shook her head.

"No, this might be good for me, though." She frowned.

"Okay…" Spencer said, uncertainty clearly evident in her voice, and started the car, giving Aria a last look before driving onto the road.

_**The next day**_

Aria scanned herself in the mirror, double checking her outfit once more. She grabbed her purse and headed out the door, where Spencer was patiently waiting in her car. She went in, pursing her lips together.

"So where are we going?" She asked, checking her makeup in her compact.

"Taco Bell." Spencer replied, backing out of the driveway.

"What? I gussied myself all up for tacos?" Aria groaned. Spencer rolled her eyes.

"I never said it was a formal outing." She said. Aria scoffed and focused her gaze onto the bright scenery around them.

Aria and Spencer entered the Mexican restaurant, taking a seat where Toby was quietly absorbed into the Rosewood daily newspaper. He looked up and smiled, giving Spencer a kiss.

"Hey there beautiful fiancée." Toby warmly greeted, making Spencer blush. Aria scrunched up her nose and looked over to the door, where Thane entered.

"Hey look there's Thane." Aria quickly said, directing her gaze to him. He settled down next to her.

"Looks like we're all here, so let's go order up at the counter." Spencer said, getting up from her seat, followed by the rest of them.

After ordering their food and bringing them back to their table, the four started to chat instantly. Thane, the quietest of the group, eventually opened up, laughing to some of Aria's lame jokes and sharing some of his own stories. She apologized to him numerous times about his nose, which was now a bit crooked. It was either her head, genetics, or another accident that caused it's abnormal shape, but Aria could not stop apologizing nonetheless.

"So a couple days ago I saw my cousin Rebecca in the flower store. She was too distracted with these roses to notice me, so I scared her from behind and she completely freaked out. It was hilarious." Thane chuckled, making Aria whip her head in his direction.

"It was just the funniest thing because she kept on yelling at me about me not being one of the first to see her baby or something. She's so… Agh. She used to be so chill when we were younger. Now she's like a mad chimp." The guys laughed, however, the girls remained silent.

"Like… Rebecca Clyde? She's your_ cousin_?" Spencer gasped. Thane nodded.

"Why? Do you know her?" He asked, suddenly curious.

"Um, sort of." Spencer replied, dipping a tortilla chip in salsa.

"Really." He said in a dazed kind of way. She nodded.

"Anyways…" Thane continued to talk with Aria not paying any particular attention to him. She sniffed the air, suddenly feeling nauseas. She bit her lip hard, trying to ignore her heartburn and headache that suddenly appeared. She stayed quiet as the group continued their chatter.

"Aria, what about you?" Thane asked, taking a sip of his water.

"Sorry, what?" Aria said, startled.

"Are you planning on going to the music fest in two days?" He repeated, looking at her. She shrugged, moving around bits of meat and veggies with a chip around the now dirty plate.

"You should come with me, check out what they have to offer." He offered and looked Aria, hoping for any sign of a yes on her face. She nodded politely.

"Great! Well, I've got to get going. I have to be back at the flower boutique in 10 minutes. See you in two days, Aria." He smiled and left, leaving the three alone. Spencer gave her a look and smirked.

"Aria do you mind taking my car home? I'll ride with Toby; we're going to get some wedding details done." Spencer asked, still smirking. Aria nodded and took Spencer's keys, leaving the two lovebirds alone.


	15. Chapter 15: Mr Baker is not a baker

**Malo e lelei!** Me, being the biggest procrastinator there is, decided to finally post chapter 15 at 12:30 AM. I swear I have turned into a nocturnal beast. How did you guys like the season two premiere of PLL? I thought it was awesome, ESPECIALLY the shirtless Ezra. Props to whoever wrote that episode (; And did you hear about the potentially real Ezria sex scene they filmed on Lucy's birthday/ premiere night? Ou la la ;) Anywho, I havent been getting that much reviews lately :( Sad Mariah since I really like reading your feedback. Enjoy chapter 15!

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><p>Aria lay on the couch, her legs dangling off the side. On her belly lay her puppy, a small cocker spaniel with the name Bailey, and in her hands her new iPhone. She sighed and stared at the words that popped up a mere few minutes ago.<p>

_I'll meet you at the fest in two hours. See you there. -Thane_

She stared at it. Did she even _want _to go?

**WITH EZRA**

"Did you know that Shakespeare's wife's name was Anne Hathaway?" Rebecca asked, carrying a tray of cookies onto the dining table. Ezra nodded and drank some tea, cringing at its too sweet taste.

"My cousin's coming over in a bit to check over the flowers for the wedding." She announced, scraping the cookies off and into the cookie jar. After placing the jar aside, she headed into the family room, taking Ezra's hand and tugging on it, begging him to get up.

"Yes?" He asked and got up, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Go upstairs and tidy up a bit. Thane will be here any minute now!" She said, scooping up his now empty tea cup and flashed a toothy grin.

"He and I used to be best buddies until he moved here while I was still in Connecticut. He moved to Rosewood after kinder garden, then moved back to Connecticut. He got accepted to Hollis so he moved back here . We were so close." She sighed, reminiscing the memories made by them. Ezra headed upstairs and stared out the window, trying to get a glimpse of Aria. With no such luck, he sighed and set a pillow in the right position. An all too familiar chime set out the room, making Ezra grunt. He headed to the door and opened it, welcoming an unfamiliar man with shaggy brown hair and dark green eyes.

"You must be Thane." Ezra grinned, shaking his hand. Thane shook it back eagerly.

"And you must be my cousin's fiancé." Thane said, taking his shoes off. Ezra nodded and led him downstairs to find Rebecca tossing a salad, her stomach barely jutting out. She smiled widely and gave Thane a hug.

"Thane!" She exclaimed, her smile wider.

"Becca!" Thane yelled sarcastically, earning himself a playful punch from Rebecca.

"God, I missed you!" Rebecca squealed.

"Missed you too, cousin." Thane smiled and sat down across from Ezra at the dining table. Rebecca set paper plates down in front of the men.

"So how have you been? Did you ever get yourself a girlfriend?" Rebecca smirked, placing the bowl of salad onto the surface.

"Nah, but I might land one tonight if I'm lucky." Thane said, helping himself to the leafy greens.

"Oh really now? And who might this be?" She asked, suddenly curious.

"I don't think you know her, but her name is Aria." Thane announced, making Ezra jerk his attention away from the app he was playing and onto Thane.

"Aria Montgomery?" Rebecca, trying to keep her voice level, gasped. Thane nodded.

"I guess you do know her."

"I guess so. So how'd you two meet?" She asked, poking at a piece of chicken with her fork.

"A couple days ago she was at the flower shop with one of my old friends and she kinda bumped her head into my nose. Her friend, Spencer, set up a double date the next day. I invited her to the music and food fest tonight. I say we have a pretty good chance together." Thane boasted, making Rebecca roll her eyes. "So how do you know her exactly?" He asked. Rebecca shot a glare at Ezra.

"I think Ezra should tell you." Rebecca smiled, still a bit cold about Ezra and Aria's former relationship. Thane turned to him.

"Ahm… She's an author and I work with her sometimes." Ezra smiled sheepishly. Rebecca stared hard at him. "And… She was my ex awhile back." Ezra nervously chuckled. Thane stopped eating to stare at him.

"No comment."

Silence overwhelmed the three.

"So how about those flowers…" Rebecca said awkwardly, breaking the uneasy silence.

**Two hours later**

After saying his goodbyes to his cousin and her fiancé, Thane drove to Aria's house, only yards away from Rebecca's. He pressed a finger on the doorbell.

"Hey." Aria warmly greeted after she answered the door. Thane gave her a hug.

"You look nice." He commented, making her smile.

"Thanks. You look pretty spiffy yourself." She smiled, giving him a double take.

"Because a pair of jeans and a leather jacket is spiffy." He chuckled. Aria was starting to like this guy. She smiled bigger, called a goodbye to Spencer, and shut the door, ready to spend the evening with this man named Thane.

**WITH EZRA**

Ezra raced into his office and stared out his window, envy trailing up his spine. He watched as Thane and Aria link arms and walk to his car.

"Becca, I need to… Buy something. I'll be back soon." He yelled, waiting for a response.

"What are you going to buy?" Rebecca asked, making her way over to the staircase. He sighed angrily.

"Just some essentials… Pencils and paper and such." He said sheepishly. She gave him a look and sighed, climbing the staircase to give him a kiss.

"Be back by 7, Ezra. I mean it." She warned, heading back downstairs and into the kitchen.

He breathed a sigh of relief and followed the couple, jealousy level at an all time high.

**AT THE FEST**

"So what do you wanna do, Aria?" Thane asked, taking her hand in his. She looked at their linked fingers, unsure about her feelings.

"How about we check out the music?" She suggested, directing her eyes over to a crowded area with several stages. Thane nodded eagerly and the two joined the noisy crowd, dancing along to the upbeat song coming from one of the stages.

Ezra, dressed in appropriate attire for spying, watched the two as they danced, glowering. _Why am I even here?_ He asked himself, ashamed of his selfish actions. He was only causing pain to himself. Sighing, he cast a last glance at them and headed to the food tables, gorging himself to gourmet cheeses and homemade wheat noodles.

Legs tired from dancing, Aria and Thane headed to the food tables, allowing each other to try different foods. After grabbing several pieces of food, they headed into the food tent.

"So I hear that you're some kind of bestselling author…" Thane started. Aria nodded, taking a bite out of her organic watermelon slice.

"I've written a book or two." She smiled.

"I guess I'm on a date with someone famous, then. You, a bestselling author, are on a date with a lousy flower delivery boy." Thane chuckled. Aria gave him a playful look and took her phone out, scrolling down the mass of chain letters and useless one letter texts.

"I'm sure you aren't just some lousy flower delivery boy. Tell me about yourself." Aria said, putting her phone back in her purse.

"Well, my name is Thane Baker, I am not a baker, but a lousy flower delivery boy. I was originally from Connecticut, but moved to Rosewood, Pennsylvania when I was 5, then moved back to CT after a year. After years of stupidity and not so smart choices, I got accepted to Hollis and moved back here. Majored in Education, yet I still haven't landed a decent job. However, I'm awaiting a certain job interview at a new private school just outside Rosewood. I'm hoping to be the P.E teacher. What about you?" He said.

"My name is Aria Montgomery, and I'm an author who hates being in the spotlight so I hide out in this small town. I've lived in Rosewood my whole life, except for the one year I moved to Iceland with my family. I graduated at the University of California-Berkley with highest honors in English Lit. I was a published author within my college years and I love puppies and blue raspberry ice lollies." Aria said, smiling. Thane grinned. She looked past his head and saw a familiar silhouette resting against one of the tables, patting his round belly. She sucked in a shocked gasp. _Ezra? _

"I'll be right back, Thane. I'm going to find a restroom." She said, slowly moving towards the man dressed in dark colors. Thinking twice, she sighed and moved away from him.

"Aria, wait!" Ezra called, quickly pacing his way to her.

"Oh my god. What are you even doing here?" She turned around to face Ezra.

"I just… Thane… He dropped by to see Rebecca about some flower arrangements and he told me he'd be here-"

"Are you _spying_ on us?" She gasped, glowering.

"No! I just wanted to talk to you." He said and led her away from the tent and into the woods.

"About what?" She asked, curious.

"I just wanted to clear things out… Why can't we be friends? It's clear that you moved on, and I just don't want to lose our… connection… you know?" He breathed.

"Friends? Is that even possible with us? And what connection?" She mumbled, kicking at a twig.

"Please, Aria. You know what I'm talking about. I know you do." He gently said.

"Fine. I do." She sighed. Could she even handle a friendship with Ezra? "I need to get back to Thane… He's waiting for me." She muttered and left, leaving Ezra alone in the brush.

"Did you find the restrooms all right?" Thane asked when he saw Aria approaching. She nodded.

"Come on, let's dance." She offered and gently took his hand, leading him to the cluster of stages. They picked their way into the crowd and swayed to the sweet melody that hummed from the stage playing. She rested her head against Thane's chest, wishing inside that it was Ezra she was dancing with.

"Aria, will you be my girlfriend?"

_Girlfriend?_


	16. Chapter 16: Two babies and a polo

**Haileo! **I would've posted earlier, but my little sister was being the biggest brat in the entire world. Sigh. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

**P.S-**

Guess who made a tumblr? If you guessed me, then you're right. However, I have no idea how to use it. At all. Anyone wanna describe what to do on there? I'm lost. :P

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><p>Aria bit her lip and nodded, trying her best to look happy. Thane, however, had no trouble looking happy and kissed her cheek, genuinely ecstatic.<p>

Ezra sat at beside one of the many stages and stared at the couple enjoying each others time. _I look ridiculous_, He thought, grimacing. _My own stupidity brought me here, why can't it bring me back home_?  
>He watched as the couple exchanged kisses and fond smiles, making him go absolutely nuts. He got up and left, absolutely disgusted with himself.<p>

"I had a great time with you this evening, Thane." Aria smiled, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"I'm happy you did. I'll call you." He said, giving her a warm hug and a kiss. She blushed as he let go and left, backing out of the driveway and onto the road. She went in, turned the lights on, and screamed. Emily, Spencer, and Hanna jumped up from their well hidden hiding spaces, yelling a big "BOO!"

"Holy shit!" Aria jumped, making the girls laugh.

"You're face… was… priceless." Hanna laughed in between snorts. Aria scrunched her nose.

"Gee, thanks." She snorted and hung her thin coat, making her way over to the three laughing ladies.

"So… how was the date?" Emily asked after finally calming down. Aria sighed happily.

"It was nice. Except Ezra was there. I'm pretty sure he was spying on us." She frowned.

"No way." Hanna gasped, making her way downstairs with everyone closely following her. They plopped down on the couches in the TV room. Aria nodded.

"Whatever. Thane and I had a really good time. He's great." She gushed, remembering the last several hours spent with him. The girls exchanged a look.

"Oh really? Tell us what happened." Spencer nudged Aria lightly with her elbow. She sighed and told them, making sure not to leave out any details.

"So… You danced, ate, then danced again? Doesn't sound very interesting to me." Hanna smirked. Emily elbowed her. "Just kidding." Aria rolled her eyes.

"Well I'm happy you're happy, Aria. Who needs Ezra?" Spencer said, popping a DVD into the TV. Aria bit her lip.

"Yeah. Who needs Ezra…" Aria scoffed, hoping it would disguise her discomfort.

July 31st marked Aria and Thane's second date; A simple lakeside dinner. There, the two laughed and simply enjoyed each other's company. Their third date was planned for the 5th of August. Aria, finding herself liking Thane more and more, began to question if she should attend Rebecca and Ezra's wedding that was in 20 days. She sighed, remembering the unruly day when Rebecca came by.

_**Flashback**_

"_Aria! I'm so glad I found you! I've been meaning to contact you for quite some time… But you were never available…" Rebecca, dressed in a short but flowy summer dress, exclaimed, making her way over to Aria. Aria, who was busy reading __To Kill a Mockingbird __on her front lawn, raised her eyebrows. Truth be told, she's been avoiding the preppy lady for ages now. She knew that Rebecca was scrambling around Rosewood, delivering her invitations by hand to friends and family because of Thane. Thane was in charge of setting the place up with flowers. Aria could only imagine Ezra's annoyance._

"_Hi Rebecca." She kindly smiled, setting her book down beside her. _

"_Here's an invitation to Ezra and I's wedding. I was hoping you'd come with Thane." Rebecca smiled cheekily. Aria took the invitation and returned a smile. _

"_Thanks. I guess I'll go with Thane then." She said, stuffing the ivory colored envelope in her book. _

"_Great! So how's he treating you?" She asked, taking a seat next to her. _

_She straightened her blouse and smiled wider. "Like a gentleman." _

"_That's good to hear! Ezra and I learn the sex of the baby on Wednesday." Rebecca squeaked, obviously excited. Just like that, Aria's mood changed from uncomfortable to extremely uncomfortable._

"_That's really cool. Let me know if the little one is a he or a she. Well, I gotta go, Spencer and I are going to pick out my maid of honor dress today." Aria lied, getting up from her spot. Rebecca got up as well and hugged her._

"_Oh alright. See you soon!" Rebecca smiled, making her way over to her own condo. Aria turned around and frowned. She picked her book up from the grass and climbed the stairs to the door, disheartened._

_**End of Flashback**_

Aria sat at the island, Bailey yapping at her feet. She laughed and fed her another dog treat.

"You really love these treats, don't you Bay?" Aria cooed, petting her puppy's clean fur. Bailey barked in response.

"ARIA! Come here!" Spencer yelled, sounding farther away from her bedroom. Aria raised an eyebrow and followed Spencer's voice, finding herself in the bathroom with Spencer.

Spencer sat on the granite counter. "Look." She said, setting down five pregnancy tests beside her. Aria squinted and gasped once she realized the results; all but one read a pink plus sign.

"Oh my god, you're pregnant!" Aria exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Hey hey… I might be pregnant. So you're coming with me to the clinic so I know for sure." Spencer said, lifting herself off the counter and onto the floor.

"What? Why not Toby AKA the _father_?" Aria asked, folding her arms.

"Because Toby's on a flight to Oregon…" Spencer sighed.

"Well when's he getting back?"

"This Sunday." She groaned, making her way out of the bathroom with Aria closely following behind.

"It's only four days away…" Aria tried reasoning.

"Aria. You're coming with me and I mean it. I already set up an appointment." Spencer glared, making Aria scared. She held her arms up in defense.

"But that's so awkward! Toby should go with you, not me." Aria cried as Spencer dragged her down the hallway.

"I know… I just have to know though! Toby's okay with it. He's really bummed though." She frowned and let go of Aria, who let go a sigh of relief.

"Someone's determined…" Aria commented, climbing the stairs into the living room. Spencer ignored her, slipping on a pair of flats and grabbing her car keys.

"Okay, let's go." Spencer demanded.

"But I'm still in my jammies…" Aria moaned, scanning her zebra striped shorts and her three sizes too large panda tee.

"It's only going to be an hour. I promise." Spencer said, already out the door. Sighing, Aria put on a pair of neon converse and followed Spencer out unhappily.

**WITH EZRA**

Ezra woke up to a spazzier than usual Rebecca throwing around different pieces of clothing in all directions.

"What are you doing?" Ezra yawned, puzzled.

Rebecca fluttered her long eyelashes. "I'm looking for the perfect outfit for today's appointment."

"Does it matter…?" Ezra asked, getting up from the bed and making his way over the piles of clothes scattered about.

"Of course it does! I want to look nice when we find out the sex of our baby!" She cried out and gave him a kiss once he made his way to her.

"I'm assuming I should look nice as well?" He commented. She nodded enthusiastically.

"In fact, I already picked out your clothes. They're on the iron board in the closet." She directed. Curious to Rebecca's selection, he headed into the closet and flipped the switch on.

His eyes widened in shock. On the iron board there lay purple plaid golf shorts and a pink polo shirt accompanied with a pair of red flip flops. "That's… Unique." He commented, making sure not to hurt her feelings.

"Oh I knew you'd love it!" Rebecca squealed, grinning. He chuckled lightly in response.

**An hour later**

Ezra, dressed in Rebecca's tacky choice of clothing, and Rebecca, wearing a light pink shirt in contrast to Ezra's and a purple and white bubble skirt, walked into the clinic, their hands locked together. He let her sign in and waited in the waiting area.

Ezra sat down in the air conditioned clinic and turned to grab a newspaper, only to find it snatched in another person's hand.

"Excuse me… I was about to take—" Ezra started, but was interrupted.

"Sorry, I had it first." A familiar voice said, tugging on the paper harder. He looked up and saw Aria, he hair caught in a messy ponytail.

"Nice shorts." Ezra chuckled.

"You perv—" Aria looked up and glared, only to be greeted with Ezra's boyish grin. She froze.

"Oh god." Aria groaned and let go of the paper. Aria glared at Spencer, who was conversing with a squat woman at the counter.

"What are you doing here?" Ezra asked, letting go of the paper as well.

"Spencer asked me to come along to her appointment. I'm assuming you're here to find out the gender of your baby, am I right?" Aria stated, avoiding Ezra's friendly gaze. He nodded, confused.

"How'd you know?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow upwards.

"Rebecca came by on Monday to give me an invitation. She decided to tell me about your upcoming appointment." She said, frowning.

He looked at Rebecca, then back at Aria. "Really."

Aria nodded.

"Rebecca Clyde." A nurse called out, perky and happy. Rebecca looked up from her conversation with the receptionist and gestured for Ezra to follow her. He nodded.

"See you." Ezra called to Aria, who responded with a small flicker on the corner of her mouth. Another nurse came in and called for Spencer, cuing Aria to follow.

**WITH ARIA&SPENCER**

"Was that Ezra?" Spencer asked after the doctor left the room. Aria nodded. "What's he doing here? And what was he wearing?"

"He's with Rebecca. They're finding out the sex of the baby right now. And I have no idea." Aria sighed. Spencer gave her a sympathetic look and gave her a hug.

"You're going to be my baby's godmother, I promise." Spencer assured. Just then, the doctor came in with a cheerful smile plastered on her face.

"Well looks like you're going to be a mommy, Miss Hastings. You're about 8 weeks along" She said, giving Spencer a big hug.

"Toby's going to be so happy." Spencer sniffled, getting a bit teary eyed.

"I'm going to be a godmother!" Aria exclaimed happily.

**WITH EZRA&REBECCA**

Several questions and an ultrasound later, the doctor looked closely at the screen and observed it.

"Well, that's funny…"


	17. Chapter 17: Where'd he go?

**Holla! **(No 1/100 hello's from around the world today. Too hungry and dead to get out my little book)Oh boy, last chapters reviews literally made my day. Oh god, "Please just tell me that she conceived a cabbage..." -randomness 101- Fanfic Freak. THAT. omg. dead. And that comment about it being a hermaphrodite from Iceyhearted. gah. dead. again.

Oh and, I just read over a few of my other chapters and realized that I'm a major fail. Let's pretend I didn't say Thane was only there for the summer and was going back to med school in the fall and stick to him being a possible music teacher. Sorry about that.

Anyways, I'm hungry and it's 2:30 in the morning so I'll just shut up now. Enjoy (I'd prefer if you didn't) this un-enjoyable chapter!

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><p>"That's funny… Oh, oh never mind! Looks like you'll be having a baby boy, Rebecca. I appoligize for the scare, the screen was just a bit blurry." The doctor confirmed, grinning. Rebecca let out a squeal of delight.<p>

"We're having a baby boy, Ezra. Imagine… A little you running around the house…" Rebecca smiled, her eyes glazed with tears. Ezra genuinely smiled at the very thought. The doctor notified the two when Rebecca's next appointment was and left them alone.

"I can't believe we're having a boy…" She sniffled, grabbing her purse and his hand.

"Me either, Becca." He said, pulling her in for a hug.

"What should we name him… What theme should the nursery be… Oh oh, dinosaurs? Maybe zoo themed? Monkeys? Or vehicles... " Rebecca rambled, making Ezra sigh.

**TWO DAYS LATER**

_I'll be there in half an hour. Can't wait to see you. -Thane_

Aria smiled at the text and looked at herself in the mirror. The last time she put these heels on was on her date to the museum with Ezra. She heaved a sigh and headed downstairs, Bailey trotting along by her feet.

"Spence, are you coming?" She asked and peeked into her room. She lightly kicked the door open, only to find an empty room. Puzzled, she yelled out Spencer's name.

"In here." Spencer groaned in the bathroom. Aria entered and immediatly kneeled by Spencer, who was busy throwing up into the toilet.  
>She held Spencer's hair up as she threw up. "Oh, sweetie. Let it alllll out."<p>

"Aria you are so lucky you aren't in this situation. So, so lucky." Spencer moaned, flushed the toilet and rinsed her mouth with mouth wash.

"I don't think I'm gonna go tonight, sorry Aria. Plus, it'll be weird not bringing Toby." She sighed, wiping her mouth with a towel. Aria frowned.

"That's okay. Stay home and rest." She said, following Spencer into the TV room.  
>"Thanks. Hey, you have fun. Tell everyone I said hi." Spencer said, giving Aria a light hug.<br>"I will."

Aria walked up the stairs and out the door, finding Thane already parked in the driveway. She waved and got into the car.

She gave him a kiss. "Hey."

He grinned and kissed her back. "Hello there. Ready for a crazy night?" He asked, taking her hand. She nodded cheerfully. "Awesome. Let's go, then."

The couple arrived in one of Pennsylvania's most popular nightclubs an hour and a half later. There, they met Hanna, accompanied by Caleb, Emily, who was with Samara, and several of Thane's friends with their girlfriends.

"Hey gorgeous little lady!" Hanna greeted, swinging an arm around Aria's neck and the other around Emily's.

"Ready to paaaartaaaay?" Hanna giggled.

"Han, are you sure you haven't had any drinks already?" Emily asked, trying to restrain her laughter.

Hanna nodded.

"I am positive! Where's Spencer?"

Aria shrugged. "She doesn't feel well. Nothing but morning sickness. Poor thing. She also wanted to let you guys know she said hi." Aria sighed, strutting into the nightclub with the girls. The lights blinded her instantly and the music instantly boomed through her ears.

"I'll be back." Aria yelled, making her way over to Thane.

"Hey." She said loudly, hoping the music didn't drown out her voice completely. Thane smiled and gave her a kiss.

"So this is Brendon, his girlfriend Sandra, Nathan, his girlfriend Emma, Robbie, his girlfriend Dana, and Phil with his boyfriend Rex. Guys, this is Aria, my girlfriend." Thane introduced. Aria smiled and gestured for her friends to come.

"This is Hanna, her boyfriend Caleb, Emily, and her girlfriend Samara. This is Thane, my boyfriend." Aria said, pointing to each person as she stated their names. Hanna and Emily dragged her to the bar after all was settled. Hanna ordered each of them a shot.

"Ready, go!" All but Aria quickly downed the tangy liquid down their throats. Hanna and Maya slammed their glasses down at the same time.

"I win!" Hanna giggled uncontrollably. Emily and Aria exchanged glances.

"Why didn't you drink your shot?" Emily asked, pushing the small glass back to the bartender. Aria shrugged.

"I don't really wanna drink tonight. I'm leaving first thing on the seventh and I don't want to pack with a major hangover tomorrow." She sighed, eying the watery drink warily. Normally, she'd be the one downing each shot without hesitation, but tonight she simply felt uncomfortable and gross in the sweaty club.

"You can have my shot. I'll be with Thane if you need help taming Hanna." Aria giggled, getting up from the stool she sat on and made her way over to Thane, who was busy chugging down a beer.

"Hanna's going a little crazy over there." Aria smirked, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He set the beer down.

"Let's dance, shall we?" He asked, grabbing her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

Two hours later, almost everyone was wasted, even Emily. Aria stayed clear of the drinks and danced with her girls, her nose scrunched at the stink of beer and smoke.

"Aria baby come with me I gotta show you something." Thane slurred, grabbing her hand and leading her outside.

"Thane..." Aria started, looking around at the eerie surroundings.  
><strong><br>WITH EZRA**

"Babe... I really want one of those jelly donuts at that one bakery in Philly… They are so good!" Rebecca drooled, resting her head onto the center of her palms. "Maybe… you can get some for us." She asked, batting her eyelashes. Ezra frowned.

"Are they even open at this time, Becca? It's almost ten." He reasoned, not wanting to waste a several hours just to get donuts. Rebecca nodded.

"They're open 24 hours." She piped. Not wanting to put up a fight, he sighed, grabbed his wallet and keys, and took off towards Philadelphia, grumpy.

**WITH ARIA**

"What are you doing?" Aria gasped as he ripped his shirt off. She looked closely into his eyes; where was the Thane she knew?

"Now baby this can be easy or this can be hard. Just take off your clothes and no one gets hurt." Thane slurred, his voice smelling of sweat and hard liquor. Aria shook with fear.

"Hey Thane, man! Get back over here." Nathan wobbled up to the two, a beer in his hand. Robbie and Brendon soon pulled up next to Nathan, each equally filled up with alcohol.

"Nah, come join me and Aria. It'll be fun!" Thane encouraged, trying to get a grasp on Aria's dress. Aria slapped his arm away, scared.

"Ah, I see that you plan on taking this the hard way. Why try to ruin my fun sexy?" Thane moaned, ripping off a piece of her dress. She brought up her right hand and slapped it across his cheek, hard. She ran away quickly, but not quick enough.

"Not so fast baby." Robbie laughed, grabbing her arm roughly. She yowled in pain.

"Let GO of me!" She cried, kicking him where it hurts. He let go of her and scowled. In an instant, Nathan and Brendon each took hold of Aria's arms and dragged her to the back to Thane.

"You're going to regret that big time." Thane fumed, slapping her clear across the face. Instantly, tears flooded her vision. The makeup that once made her eyes pop suddenly rolled down her cheeks along with her fresh tears. She hissed at the sting of the pain and brought her hand up to her cheek.

"Why are you doing this? Let go of me!" Aria yelled as she was pushed against a concrete wall. Thane and Nathan ripped pieces of her dress off harshly. Thane pushed Nathan aside and held Aria captive against the cold wall. She thrashed, but was only slapped once more.

"Relax baby!" Thane chuckled and sharply pinned down onto her wrists roughly against the murky wall. Her scream was high pitched even as she choked on the tears that fell.

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><p>HEY HEY! I figured tumblr out! woohoo! PM me if you wanna follow me or if you want me to follow you back or both.<p>

P.S.S- Don't kill me.


	18. Chapter 18: Blank

**Namaste!** OH MY GOSH LAST NIGHTS EPISODE HAD ME IN TEARS. NOT EVEN JOKING. I FELL OFF MY COUCH AND JUST ABOUT DIED. I FOREVER LOVE NORMAN BUCKLEY AND JOSEPH DOUGHERTY. I CANT. EZRIA CAN RULE THE WORLD I WOULDN'T ARGUE ONE BIT. THE BEST EZRIA SCENE (by far, let's see how 209 goes)THE MOST ROMANTIC SCENE AND AND… CAN EZRIA GET ANY BETTER? STILL CANT GET OVER IT.

And I probably shouldn't post at night (I only post at night because I like waking up to reviews... and I love you guys!). Just to get this straight, Emily is dating SAMARA and not Maya. I decided that they should be together since I have a big feeling they're going to crush hard on each other and possibly start dating this season. I apologize for the confusion and this terribly short chapter. Enjoy.

Oh and follow me on tumblr: thebrightersmile

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><p>"Hello?" Ezra called, looking around at the delicious treats that were displayed under thick glass. He licked his lips at the thought of a slice of apple pie entering his mouth. He browsed the dozens of donuts, confused. The donuts had no labels indicating which donut was which, and that made everything a little bit more complicated. A short lady with long gray hair pulled in a ponytail emerged from the curtain of beads.<p>

"Hello! How may I help you?" She asked, bags clearly evident under her eyes. Ezra bit his lip. He really did not want to bother this lady. But he didn't want to anger Rebecca, either.

"Ma'am, where are the labels for the donuts?" He asked.

She gasped. "Oh dear, I forgot to put the labels out again! I'm sorry dear, it'll just take a few minutes." She sighed, reaching into the pocket of her apron and pulling out little stands with names on them. Ezra nodded.

"I'll wait, then." He said, digging his hands deep into his pockets. The lady nodded and went back to work sticking labels in the glass cases. He approached the pie displays once more, then heard a faint scream from the other side of the wall.

"Um, ma'am? Who was that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

The lady didn't hesitate to give him an answer. "Oh, there's a night club a little ways off from here. Weird, but true. Sometimes people lose their way while they're drunk and stumble across over here. Sometimes they're being just plain rowdy while other times it can be rape victims. Poor things. We're thinking about relocating the bakery because the cops are here so often, asking us questions."

Ezra nodded, puzzled at the ease the lady radiated. He went back to his business and eyed the apple pie, his stomach growling.

"_**Let GO of me!"**_

Ezra froze. He knew that voice. The voice belonged to the person he loves.

"Ah, I'll be right back." He stated, racing to the door as normally as he could.

"Alright dear, take your time!"

**WITH ARIA**

Aria felt Thane's hungry hands scour her body, making her extremely uncomfortable and self conscious. Robbie and Nathan held her wrists down painfully while Thane continued to grope her roughly. She blinked away tears and went limp, knowing nothing could make Thane stop.

**WITH EZRA**

Ezra's heart raced with fear knowing that Aria was in pain somewhere near him, yet he couldn't reach her. He found himself walking faster and faster, trying to find where Aria was.

"_**Why are you doing this? Let go of me!" **_

He started to panic and noticed her voice was farther away than it had been at the bakery. His fast walk soon turned into a run, and the run turned into a search for his love.

**WITH ARIA**

"Where's the Thane I know? I'm sure he's in there somewhere." She whispered, her eyes red and swollen. Thane looked up, a twisted expression upon his face.

"Baby I'm right here! What a dumbass." He snorted, stripping away what was left of her dress. Aria cried out in pain, only earning herself a painful slap across her face.

"Aria?" Every person in the group looked up to find Ezra there, breathless. Instantly, Ezra felt himself collide into Thane's body, throwing him off balance.

"Oh lookie here, my sister's fiancé! What are you doing here, Fitz?" He asked, wobbling up to him. Ezra crinkled his nose at the stink of his breath and gave him a punch, angering Thane easily.

"What the fuck Fitz?" He yelled, aiming a shot at Ezra's eye, but missed and hit his shoulder. Ezra winced in pain and threw another punch at Thane. Soon, the two were scrambling at each other, making Aria cry harder. Meanwhile, the two men holding Aria against the wall eventually loosened up their grips on her wrists and watched as the two men fought, dumbfounded. She broke loose of their grips and broke into a run, leaving Ezra with Thane.

Thane looked up and saw the three other men watching them, each with their own glossy look in their eyes. He discovered a missing Aria.

"Where's Aria?" He screamed, the men finally breaking out of their trances. Their mouths hung open and shoulders sagged.

"You dipshits!" He yelled. In the heat of their 'conversation', Ezra scrambled up and ran after Aria, worried and especially sore.

Ezra found Aria sitting on the curb, too weak to go on further.

She looked up at Ezra, scared. "Please don't hurt me." She whispered, curling up into a ball. He squat down in front of her.

"Come with me, I'll take you home." He softly assured her, offering a hand to her. She gratefully took it and they walked back to his car.

_Forget the donuts._

**Ezra's P.O.V**

I gripped the steering wheel lightly and snuck a peek at Aria. Her eyes were fixated on the darkness ahead, her knees bunched up to cover her almost nude body. I truly felt bad for her; The events that happened just a mere half hour ago appeared to shatter her completely. Anger began to rise in me at the thought of what happened to her, what _could have_ happened if I didn't go to the bakery. The pain reflected Aria so easily I could feel it in the small car. The thought of her in pain, the thought of her getting hurt, the thought of her so vulnerable; it angered me even more. My hatred towards Thane grew more and more as I realized what he could've done to my Aria, what damage he's already caused to her. My grip on the wheel tightened.

"Are you okay?" She asked, obviously noticing my anger. I nodded. Thane's filthy hands hurting my love... His filthy actions towards my love... That filthy little...

"Ezra… Can you slow down a little?" She asked, frightened. I ignored her, my eyes straight on the road ahead of us. Those men who hurt Aria... How could you hurt such a beautiful woman? Those boys, do they have hearts?

"Ezra, please." She begged. But by then it was too late; the light was yellow for quite some time, and I was supposed to slow down. Instead, I drove faster, determined to reach the other side of the street without stopping. It wasn't until a car hit the side of my car until I realized the light turned red and that I should've listened to her. Then, everything was swallowed up by pitch black darkness.

"_Please don't hurt me."_

_I'm sorry Aria._


	19. Chapter 19: Three babies?

**Hej!** I'm tired. Here's a chapter of Summer Affairs. Just read because I feel no need to waste anymore of your time today. Enjoy and don't die, folks.

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><p>Ezra opened his eyes to Rebecca sitting anxiously on the edge of his bed. Rebecca looked at him and sighed, relieved.<p>

"Thank god you're awake." She said, scooting closer to his side. He gave her a small smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't get your donuts, Becca." He grumbled, raising himself up with the palm of his hands. He winced at the pain that shot through his body.

"Donuts? I could care less about that right now… What I do care about is… Well Ezra, I need answers. What happened? Why were you with… her." She questioned, fiddling with the ring on her finger. He breathed in a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry… I went to get your donuts and I heard this familiar scream… I knew it was her, Aria, so of course I went into full panic mode… " He scratched his head, trying to remember what happened next. Rebecca opened her mouth.

"The doctor said she… she was pretty much naked when you crashed…" She croaked, resting her hands on her lap. He bit his lip, suddenly remembering the events.

"Thane, your cousin, he slapped her and was just… groping her. God knows what he was doing to her before I came… She was just in absolute pain." He swallowed hard. "She was so close to being raped." His voice cracked as he remembered how vulnerable she looked. She looked up at his eyes, clearly seeing the pain that reflected off of them.

"Why don't you look at me like that?" Rebecca quivered, her eyes glazed with soon to come tears.

"What are you talking about, Becca?" Ezra softly asked, genuinely confused.

"At Aria. I can tell that you love her. You don't look at me like you do at her." She softly shielded her eyes with her hair, hoping he wouldn't see her pain. He bit the corner of his lower lip slightly, unable to respond.

"Don't think I don't see it, Ezra. You never stopped loving her. I can see it in your eyes." Her bottom lip quivered as she placed her right hand on her round belly.

"But how?" He blurted, then pursed his mouth shut, ashamed.

"My clients, the ones that are in love. They tell me and I can see that they are." She sighed, her mouth twitched downwards. His heart cracked.

"I'm sorry." Was all he could say, and he truly meant it.

"You can't be sorry you love another woman, Ezra. You can't help who you fall in love with." She let her tears that stung her eyes fall, staining her tan cheeks.

"Trust me, I know." She painfully looked up at Ezra, whose own eyes began to sting.

"I never meant to hurt you. I do love you, Rebecca." His voice cracked, knowing he hurt them unintentionally.

"I know. It's different with me, though." Rebecca sniffled, then took the large ring off the third finger of her left hand and slid it into Ezra's hand.

"This belongs to Aria." She whispered. He looked at her, pained.

"Becca, no."

"I don't deserve it."

"I'm sorry Rebecca... I'll still be a father to our baby..." He begged. Rebecca, genuinely surprised, smiled a bit.

"Really?" She asked, her tears quickly drying. He nodded his head.

"Thank you Ezra." Rebecca said, wrapping her arms around his aching neck.

"Ouch." He hissed quietly.

"Sorry."

**WITH ARIA**

Aria opened her eyes, still a bit hazy. She looked up and saw her mother nervously flipping the channels on the hospital TV.

"Mom?" She said, wondering why she was there.

"Oh honey. Thank god you're awake. I was so worried about you." She sighed in relief and gave her a hug.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, stretching her sore muscles. She flinched at the pain.

"What am I doing here? I hope you haven't forgotten that I'm your mother, Aria. I drove all the way here from New York after the police told me about your accident… With Ezra Fitz." Ella cocked an eyebrow. Aria bit her lip.

"Would you like to tell me why you were in your old English teacher's car, practically nude?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Mom, mom, it's not what it looks like. I was," Aria swallowed hard to keep the tears from falling, "almost raped. Ezra found me just in time." She bit her lip, remembering the events that happened to her. Ella's jaw dropped instantly.

"Oh Aria, who… Are you okay? Do you wanna talk about it?" She asked, placing a comforting arm around Aria's shoulder.

"Never in my wildest dreams would I think he would someday hurt me. We weren't together for long, but I knew he was just the perfect gentleman… Now, I just can't stand him. I can't believe Ezra was there… I don't even know why he was but I'm glad." She said, sighing at the very end. Ella, still utterly confused, gently squeezed Aria's shoulder.

"I am too, Aria. I really am. What I still don't get is how you guys got in a car accident." She said, her motherly voice kicking up a bit.

"I don't either… Ezra was speeding… That's all I remember." Aria said, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

"I'm so relieved you're okay, Aria. I was worried sick. I waited nearly 6 hours for you to wake up." Ella spoke, softly touching her daughter's silky hair.

"What time did they call you? Where are we, anyways?" Aria asked, suddenly aware of the unfamiliar surroundings.

"We're in Clarkson Regional Hospital (totally made up, btw) in Philly, dear. They called around 12 AM, and I got here at about 3 in the morning." Ella said.

"It's 9 already? Where's dad?"

Ella nodded. "Your father's in California, lecturing students who want to major in English. He'll be here as soon as he can." She assured. "Do you want anything to eat or drink? I can go on a coffee run or…"

Aria's mouth watered at the thought of a fresh Krispy Kreme donut entering her mouth. "Do you think you can get some Krispy Kremes?" Aria piped, making Ella laugh.

"Alright, I'll be back hopefully soon if I can find a Krispy Kreme around here." Ella chuckled, kissed Aria's forehead, and left. Aria let out a puff of air and grabbed her phone, which was laying on the table beside her. She checked her messages.

**Spencer:**

_I hope you're having fun! Don't forget to tell the girls I said hi! 11:03 P.M_

_Oh my god, the police just contacted me. I'm coming in two hours, Aria. If you happen to be awake, then tell me if you need anything. Leaving at 8. 7:19 A.M_

**Hanna:**

_ARIA I AM SO SORRY! I didn't know you left so early! Spence is coming to pick me and Em up ASAP. I hope you're alright! 6:54 A.M_

**Emily:**

_Aria! Spencer is coming to pick me and Han up. I'm so sorry about the accident. I really hope you're alright. I feel somewhat responsible for it :\ Hope you're okay._

Aria stopped scrolling down her texts once there was a knock at the door. The doctor peeped her head into the room, clip board in hand.

"Oh good, you're awake. Miss Montgomery, you're very lucky. It appeared that the placenta and uterus are still attached. It's a good thing the crash wasn't too traumatic on your side of the car. You only got away with a few bruises and scratches. The person you were with… not so much. We'll just give you an obstetric exam and an ultrasound once you're in an overall stable condition." The doctor said as she read off her clipboard. Aria looked up at her, confused.

"Doc... What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Well based on the fetus' age and your symptoms, we'll be monitoring you and your baby for several hours after all's well." The doctor said, making Aria almost faint.

"I'm... Pregnant?" She gasped, placing her hand on her abdomen. The doctor gave her a quizzical look.

"You didn't know?" She asked. Aria nodded. "Have you been keeping track of your menstrual cycle lately, Aria? No symptoms at all?" The doctor asked curiously. Aria shook her head in disbelief.

"It jumps around a lot... And no symptoms, at least none that I've noticed." She whispered, looking down at her lower abdomen. She rolled back what the doctor said and blinked. She was having a baby.

"I'm pregnant." She gasped once again. The doctor nodded.

"Looks like you're going to be a mother, Miss Montgomery." Aria was unable to speak.

"How… What.. How did you find out?" She muttered, her voice small. Instantly she felt silly for asking.

"You're urine sample from earlier signaled that you're pregnant. We can give you an ultrasound once you're up to it." The doctor simply said to her. Aria slowly nodded, finding herself drifting off into sleep. She's finally going to be a mother.

**WITH EZRA  
><strong>  
>Ezra woke up with a start, having the same dream he hasn't seen in months. Hot beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He slowly got up from the hospital bed, his body still in pain from the accident. Just then a doctor and a nurse came in, a tray of hospital food glumly sitting on a small cart the nurse wheeled in.<p>

"Mr. Fitz, I see you're awake. You're fiancée just left an hour ago and a few visitors came by." The doctor, an aging man whose voice was deep and scalp was dry, informed, pausing to look at his clipboard.

"How's Aria?" Ezra asked, cringing as he bent his neck to scoop a spoonful of potatoes in his mouth.

"She's in a good condition right now." He said, noticing Ezra's discomfort.

"Can I go see her?" Ezra asked, forking a sliced carrot into his mouth. The doctor shook his head.

"You're in a fair condition, so I wouldn't recommend you to move often." The doctor advised, making Ezra grunt.

"Can she see me?" He asked, hopeful. The doctor nodded.

"Only if she wants to."  
>Ezra froze, remembering what got them into the accident in the first place.<p>

"Can you ask her to come see me?" Ezra asked the nurse, who quickly obliged.

**WITH ARIA**

"Miss Montgomery, Ezra Fitz wants to see you." The nurse said in a hushed tone to Aria, who was flipping through her texts. Aria looked up at her, unsure if she wanted to go. She sighed.

"A-Alright. Just a minute."  
>She threw her phone back into her purse and slowly got up, uneasy about the pain that shot through her body.<p>

"Do you need any help Miss Montgomery? I can get you a wheelchair or..." The nurse politely asked. Aria shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." She smiled and took her time to walk into his room. She took a seat on the edge of his bed.

"Hi." She said, fiddling with her thin hospital gown.

"You.. You wanted to see me..." She rambled, making Ezra smile a little.

"I'm sorry. That crash was all my fault. The anger was just boiling to the point it wasn't controllable anymore." He sighed heavily. She stared at him, silent.

"We wouldn't be here if I didn't get so mad..." She turned away from him and bit her lip, hard.

"No... You had a right to be mad. I mean I can't blame you. I was almost..." She said softly.

"I just can't stand the thought of you in pain... What those guys did to you... " His voice cracked at the very thought. He tried shaking the memory of the men groping her harshly in the cold night and the almost unrecognizable face Thane had as he slapped his filthy hand across Aria's delicate face. She stayed quiet.

"If I listened to you… We wouldn't be here right now…" He said, burying his head with his hands.

"How are you doing? Are you alright? Nothing broken?" He asked suddenly, hoping the impact wasn't too harsh on her. She shook her head.

"I'm just a bit sore. My wrists and cheek, they hurt the most. Nothing too bad though." She said, scanning Ezra's cast around his shoulder and on his leg.

"I'm just glad you're okay… I'm glad Rebecca is, too."

"Rebecca?" She said, befuddled.

"She.. She broke up with me." He stopped talking and looked at Aria.

"I'm sorry, Ezra." She said, scooting closer to his side. She gave him a hug.

"Ow." He mumbled, pausing to touch the bruise Thane left on his right shoulder.

"Thane's a real douche bag." Aria sighed, staring at the bruise and shaking her head.

"Did he hurt you… before yesterday?" He asked, widening his grey eyes. She shook her head.

"He's a real gentleman... But I guess a few shots and a beer or two can turn that around." She frowned, touching the purple bruise around Ezra's eye.

"I can't believe he gave you a black eye." She said, her frown increasing in size. He winced at her touch.

"Sorry." She said, startled. "Ezra.. You don't need to answer this if you don't want to… But what happened between you and Rebecca?" She asked, her voice soft. He paused and looked at her.

"She said she knew. She knew that I didn't love her the same way I love you. I don't know how… I didn't think she could see it. I didn't even know I showed it… She was remotely calm too throughout our little dramatic break up scene. I expected her to act… differently." He remembered, pursing his lips together.

"Well Ezra… There's this saying… Behind every smile lies a broken heart." Aria smiled softly. They stayed quiet. A knock on the door broke the silence.

"Miss Montgomery, are you ready for that ultrasound?" A nurse popped her head into the room and asked. Aria nodded and gave a small smile.

"Bye, Ezra. See you." She squeezed his hand and slowly walked over to the nurse, anxiety prickling up her spine.


	20. Chapter 20: Two plus two equals four

**Ave! **I'm bored. Apparently, I'm hosting a PLL party tomorrow. That's weird because I had no idea I agreed to any of that. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Spencer, Hanna, and Emily rushed into the hospital, immediately seeking Aria's room.<p>

"Aria, we-" Spencer looked around the room, confused. Aria was not to be found in the too-white room. The girls exchanged glances and searched for an available nurse.

"Miss, miss!" Spencer hollered as quietly as she could to get the attention of the perky lady dressed in a nurse's uniform. The nurse flashed a smile. "Yes?"

"We were just wondering where Mr. Ezra Fitz's room is. We're close friends of his." Spencer said, ignoring the confused faces of Hanna and Emily.

"Down the hall to your right, the second room on the left, room 202." The nurse replied. Spencer nodded and thanked her.

"Spence, why are we going into Ezra's room? I thought we were here to see Aria." Hanna snorted, her heels clacking along the white hospital floor.

"We are. Maybe Fitz knows where she is." Spencer replied, knocking on room 202.

"Come in." Ezra's voice sounded from inside. The three opened the door to find a surprised Mr. Fitz eating a spoonful of pudding.

"Spencer, Hanna, Emily. What are you three doing here?" He asked, surprised.

"We're here to see Aria, of course. But the problem is, is that she's not in her room." Emily said, taking a seat on one of the chairs.

"And well, we were wondering if you know where she is." Hanna said, taking a seat next to Emily. Ezra set the spoon down.

"She's getting an ultrasound, apparently." He said, scratching a part of his head.

"Really? For what?" Spencer asked, sitting beside Hanna. Ezra shrugged his shoulders.

"For a baby, what else?" Hanna snorted.

"Hanna, there are plenty of other uses for getting an ultrasound. _Not just a baby_." Spencer rolled her eyes, resting one leg behind the other. Hanna frowned.

"Like what?" Hanna challenged.

"Well you could-" Spencer started, but was interrupted by Emily.

"You guys.." She said, each giving them a look. The two shrugged and diverted their attention back to Ezra.

"What happened...? I mean between you and Aria. What happened at the club? All the cops told us was that you two were involved in an accident." Spencer remembered, keeping her eyes off the cast he wore around his leg.

"We.. She. Well. Maybe Aria should tell you herself. Unless you really want to hear it." Ezra warned, waiting for an approval from all three girls. He sighed and told them what happened, earning several gasps and cries.

"How did we not hear her, Han? We weren't that far from her!" Emily cried. Hanna buried her face with her hands.

"Well Em... We were way over wasted. I can't remember a thing from last night. My head still hurts." Hanna complained. Emily frowned.

"I hope she's alright."  
><strong><br>WITH ARIA**

"This might feel a little cold, sweetie." The doctor warned and squirt out a dollop of gel onto Aria's stomach. She twitched at the coolness.

"How are you doing?" The doctor asked, waiting for a response from Aria. She smiled slightly.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"That's good to hear. Oh, do you see those, Aria?" She pointed to the screen. Aria looked closely at the picture.

"There's not only one baby in there... There are two! Looks like you'll be having twins, Miss Montgomery. They look about six weeks, approximately. Do you hear that?" The doctor asked. Aria listened closely and found herself listening to soft thumps.

"Heartbeats?" She asked, trying her best not to cry. The doctor nodded.

"Would you like a picture? It'll take a few minutes." She said. Aria nodded eagerly.

"Alright. It'll just be a couple minutes. We'll get you cleaned up and ready to go once the photos finish printing." The doctor smiled and left the room, leaving Aria by herself. She sat up and stared at her flat belly.

"Hi little ones. This is your mommy. I love you." She murmured fondly, pressing her fingers gently upon the surface of her stomach.  
><strong><br>15 minutes later**

Aria was wheeled back to her room, ultrasound pictures in hand and a bright smile on her face. She entered the room, surprised to find Spencer, Hanna and Emily sitting in a cluster on the bed. She hid the pictures behind her instantly, not wanting them to be seen just yet.

"Spence! Han! Em!" She laughed while each of the girls gave her a hug.

"Aria, we're so sorry." Emily frowned, helping her onto the bed from the wheelchair. Aria looked at her, confused.

"Ezra told us what happened.." Spencer quickly responded.

"Oh." Aria pursed her lips together.

"Yeah... Are you alright? How'd the ultrasound go?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah. And how..."

"Ezra."

"Ah. Well... It went nicely." Aria responded.

"What was it for?" Emily asked, concerned. Aria sighed and pulled the pictures out from her back. She placed them down onto the bed.

"Oh my gosh." Spencer gasped, grabbing a picture from the bed. She looked closely at the picture.

"This looks different from mine…" She commented.

"There's two. Not one." She gasped, noticing the second blob on the picture. Aria nodded.

"I'm pregnant… With twins." She smiled brightly. The three girls exchanged glances at each other.

"Congratulations!" Emily grinned, giving her a hug.

"Who's the father?" Hanna suddenly blurted. Aria froze. She never really thought about the father until just now. She thought long and hard.

"Well…" She started. Instantly it came to her. Ezra. Ezra Fitz. He was the last person she slept with.

"…Thane? Ezra?" Emily asked.

"It can't be Thane. It says here she's six weeks along. She's been with Thane for only like three or two weeks." Spencer remembered, looking at Aria. Aria sighed.

"They're Ezra's." She said, suddenly nervous. How was she going to tell him?

"Oh, shit." Hanna gasped, instantly covering her mouth. Aria shrugged. A knock at the door startled the girls.

"Aria, we got your donuts!" Ella called cheerfully and opened the door, finding all four girls gathered in the room. Byron followed Ella into the room.

"Dad!" Aria grinned, letting him go in for a hug.

"How are you doing?" He asked, releasing her.

"I'm better. Thanks for coming out."

"Of course, you're my daughter. When I got the call I cancelled all my lectures and booked a flight at once. I'm sorry I'm a little late." He apologized.

"Don't be. I'm just glad you're here." Aria smiled. Ella set the box of donuts onto the table beside her, noticing the ultrasound pictures that lay in front of her daughter.

"Aria, what's this?" She asked, grabbing one of the pictures from the bed.

"Uh, Aria, we're going to grab something to eat. We'll be back soon." Spencer said, slowly picking her way over to the door with Emily and Hanna. Aria nodded and bit her lip as the three closed the door.

"Well, mom, they're ultrasound pictures." She said, trying to sound as plain as possible.

"Yours?" Ella raised her eyebrows. Aria nodded.

"Well congratulations, Aria. I finally get to be a grandparent!" Ella smiled, handing her a glazed donut.

"Who's the father?" Byron suddenly asked, very curious.

Aria froze. Her parents never knew about her and Ezra's relationship. As far as she knows, Ella and Byron only know that Ezra Fitz was once her English teacher and that he saved her from being raped.

"Um, the only possible father to my babies happens to be the man who saved me from being raped and he got us into a car accident last night. He also happens to be across the hall in his own hospital room, probably." She smiled sweetly, hoping her parents wouldn't explode.


	21. Chapter 21: Aria spills all

**Annyong haseyo**! Cookies are really nice in the AM. They keep you hyper. Which is probably not the best idea for someone like me. I think Jackie Molina sucks for ramming her terrible face into that undeniably cute ezria scene. I love how they're taking it public now, they seem so happy. Hopefully their happiness lasts long. Why must ezria be so cute? Someone care to answer this for me? I think mangoes are nice. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"You're talking about Ezra Fitz, right?" Byron asked, slowly taking a seat by the window. Aria nodded and smiled sweetly. She snuck a glance at Ella, who was frozen in her seat.<p>

"Ezra… Ezra Fitz." Ella breathed calmly.

"Before you strangle him, I should probably tell you our story from the beginning. When I was 16 and he was 23." Aria began, gathering up her ultrasound pictures awkwardly.

"Well?" Byron asked, trying his best not to barge into Ezra's room and strangle the poor man. Aria took a deep breath.

"It was right before junior year when we met. I knew it would be a while for Mike's lacrosse practice to end, so I took the time to go eat at Snookers. That's where Ezra must've noticed how distracted I was because he asked if I was alright and then things kind of took off from there. He assumed that I was attending Hollis, since I was talking about being abroad and all that… The next day, well, that's when he learned that I was his student. We've tried distancing each other out, but it never worked. We came back to each other each and every time. We were together for two years, until one day he mysteriously disappeared from Rosewood and left me without any warning at all. His timing was the worst, too, because… because I was pregnant. With his baby." Aria breathed deeply to keep from breaking down. She was not exactly comfortable when talking about her miscarriage.

"While you guys and Mike were out in Europe, I was in my room twenty four hours seven days a week, depressed. Then one day… one day the stress took its toll on me and I lost my baby. I wasn't taking the best care of myself during that period, and ultimately, it killed my baby. I turned to writing after that, thanks to Spencer. Years later, Ezra came back, with a fiancée." She bit the inside of her cheek hard, trying to prevent the tears that threatened to drop fall. She looked down, not wanting her parents to see how unbearable the pain was. She sucked up a deep breath.

"And so he was with his fiancée and she's pregnant. We met at the mall for the first time and she was very eager to get to know her favorite author so she set up a dinner for three. I soon learn that he's a struggling author because my good editor lets her nephew, Ezra, come in to my home to get some advice from a New York bestseller like myself. Things were different when he leaned in to kiss me one day, and from that day on, we got back together behind his fiancée's back. It wasn't different or anything; we were used to not being seen in public. We lasted a month or two, until I couldn't stand having to share him and broke up with him. Weeks later, I'm in a club with Hanna and Emily and…" Aria paused. What was Thane now? Was he still her boyfriend? After all, there was no official breakup.

"And Thane, my then boyfriend, and his friends. An hour or two later, I'm the only one able to drive home without getting into some sort of accident, and suddenly, I'm almost a victim of rape when Ezra pops out of nowhere and rescues me… Then we leave and the anger inside him builds up and we end up here, in a hospital in Pennsylvania." She finished off with a relieved sigh. She searched both her parents for any sign of emotion, but could find none. They stayed silent.

"You were seeing your teacher when you were in high school." Byron stated, breaking the silence. Aria nodded her head.

"I always thought that you and Ezra were just a bit suspicious… I knew you two had this connection, I just didn't realize it was a love connection." Ella sighed, resting her hand on her left knee. Aria gently chewed on her bottom lip.

"I hope you know that I'm using all of my strength not to march over to his room and punch him." Byron muttered, clenching his fist tightly by his side.

"Dad, he doesn't deserve that. He's got enough bruises." Aria pleaded, her hazel eyes round and glossy.

"I know. I… I just have to leave for a bit. Take in some air while I take my time to consume what you said. We'll be back soon." He said, taking Ella's hand and exiting the room. Aria jumped up a few minutes later and ran into Ezra's room.

"_Hold me."_ She mumbled, snuggling up into Ezra's side. He looked at her, surprised.

"What happened?" He asked and wrapped a comforting arm around her fragile back.

"I told them. I told my parents about us. All of it." Her voice was shuddery as she took the time to explain the situation to him.

"At least they were calm." He commented after she finished talking.

"Not really. My dad was really trying his best not to kill you. He's probably chewing some glass right now to keep from exploding." She sighed. Half a second later, tears began to roll down her face.

"What's wrong, Aria?" He asked, lightly playing with strands of her silky hair.

"I left my donuts in the room." She sniffled, burying her face deeper into his chest. He looked at her, puzzled.

"Want me to get them for you?"

"No, no. You can't move in your condition. Even if you could, it'd take forever." She sniffled again. "I don't even know why this upsets me so much. Those donuts are probably cold now."

He lightly chuckled, then realized he forgot to ask about the ultrasound. "What happened earlier, when you were getting an ultrasound? Everything's alright?" He asked and buried his nose into her hair. He felt her body tense up instantly. He began to worry.

"Yeah, it went out well. Well, uh, the doctors, they found something interesting…" She began. The arm around her tightened as his mind played certain scenarios. He was already fearing the worst.

"And what was this interesting thing?"

"I, um, I'll be just a sec. I'm going to show you what these things are." She quickly wiped the tears away and scurried out of the room and came back only seconds later, true to her word. In her hand held several small pictures that were only a few inches bigger than a wallet sized school picture. She stood awkwardly in front of his bed, unsure how to break the news to him. After fighting with herself for a few minutes, she sighed and surrendered the pictures. She placed them on Ezra's chest and got back in bed with him. He looked closely and a smile slowly crept onto his face.

"Montgomery, Aria. Looks like a baby is in your tummy." He smiled, giving her a tight hug. She sighed in relief.

"Two babies, actually." She smiled cheekily. Instantly, his smile brightened. Instinctively he leaned down and gave her a kiss, a light one, on her lips. He forgot that Aria wasn't his girlfriend or anything. He forgot that he was just broken up with.

"Aria, be my girlfriend again. I love you." He breathed shakily, looking deep into her eyes.

* * *

><p>I give you guys way too many cliffys, yeah?<p> 


	22. Chapter 22: Chow Mein

**Bonjour! **I felt bad for not posting yesterday... So here you go. Sadly, someone stole my brownies so therefore cliff hangers have been named my best friends at 3 A.M. I'm so freaking tired and I better see a bunch of reviews waiting for me to read in the later morning. HA just kidding. I wish I had my brownies. Enjoy this crappish chapter.

* * *

><p>Aria gave a slight smile and pecked his lips. "I'd love to be your girlfriend again, Ezra Fitz." She giggled, wrapping an arm around his broad shoulder. He lightly nuzzled her hair, then realized the worst.<p>

"You're babies… Who's the father?" He asked, deeply hoping they were his. She shot him a glare.

"They're yours, of course! I'm six weeks along, and six weeks ago, we were still together." She scoffed, burying her head into his side.

"Oh, right. That means I'll be taking care of three babies."

"You don't have to take care of mine."

"Of course I'm taking care of our babies!" He sighed and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

She inhaled his scent and immediately scrunched her nose. "You smell really bad, Mr. Fitz." She commented and pushed her head away from his side.

"I'm sorry, Miss Montgomery, but I haven't exactly had the opportunity to take a shower." He said, pointing to the cast on his leg with his free hand.

"Right." She sighed, grabbing the pictures off his chest. She smiled at the pictures of her babies.

"Thank you." She said suddenly after several minutes of silence.

"For what?" He asked, confused. He gently took a picture out of her hand.

"For... For, I guess, saving me. If you weren't there… Who knows what would've happened? Really, thank you." Her voice echoed in the quiet room.

"Aria, I love you. I'm sure fate had something to do with me coming to you. From the very beginning of the summer until now."

"You're so cheesy. But I love you too."

**Two hours later**

"Miss… I'm sorry for waking you but we need you to exit the room for only several minutes or so." A doctor with a balding scalp said as he gently tapped Aria's shoulder. Aria nodded, drowsy, and took the pictures with her to her own hospital room, where she found her parents talking to each other in hushed voices.

"Oh, hi." She yawned and plopped back into the uncomfortable hospital bed.

"Since you are an independent lady now, it's not like we can do anything like ground you. All we can do is accept the fact that you have had previous relations with your past English teacher. It's just upsetting knowing that we never knew about your relationship," Ella sighed, "We would've accepted you two if you told us. Ezra's a good guy." Aria glanced at Byron.

"Well, I would have, anyways." Ella shrugged.

"The reason I didn't want to tell you was, well, because DAD would have sent him to prison the second he found out, and you… well. We were illegal. We probably wouldn't even be here if you found out." Aria sighed, nestling deeper into the bed. Byron opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Hi!" Suddenly, Hanna burst through the door, Spencer and Emily following soon after. Her hands were filled with shopping bags while Emily's contained a large brown paper bag that smelled suspiciously of chow mein and beef and broccoli stir fry.

"Hey, you're here a little late," Aria grinned and turned to her parents. "You two should get some rest… You can stay over at the condo for as long as you'd like…" She began, but Ella soon interrupted.

"Aria sweetie it's alright. We got a room at a hotel near here. We'll be back as soon as you need us." She assured. The two waved goodbye and left, leaving the four girls alone.

Aria eagerly turned to the brown bag now resting on the table next to her. "You guys are life savers. I'm so hungry." She drooled. Her hands ripped open the bag and took each little box containing food. Emily giggled and sat beside Aria.

"Those aren't only for you. They're Ezra's too." Spencer spoke.

"He doesn't like any of this stuff." Aria lied, greedily stabbing a piece of unknown meat with her chopsticks. Chow mein is one of his favorite foods.

"Come on Aria, sharing is caring." Hanna piped.

"Let's all go to his room and you two can eat there. At least, if you don't mind, Aria." Spencer said slowly.

"But I just got back from there!" Aria moaned. Bits of baby corn and broccoli stuck to her teeth. Hanna smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

Aria nodded. Spencer and Emily grabbed the food containers, placed them into the bag, and headed over to Ezra's room. Hanna helped Aria up from her spot and guided her back to his room.

"Is that chow mein I smell?" Ezra chuckled as the girls entered the room. They all nodded except for Aria, who was already scarfing down a lump of noodles.

"Here's some nice Asian cuisine to replace the hospital food they serve here." Spencer smiled politely and set the bag down. Ezra gave his thanks and opened some of the food.

"So… Aria tells us she's been in your room recently. Tell us more." Hanna smirked. Aria shot her a glare and kissed him right on the lips. _Smack_. Hanna's smile vanished.

"You're back together?" Emily asked, both her eyebrows raised. Aria nodded and opened the take out box that had the orange chicken.

"That's… interesting." Spencer commented.

"It is, isn't it?" Aria said, feeding Ezra noodles wrapped around a plastic fork. He scrunched his nose at the fact he was being fed, but he had no choice.

"What about Rebecca? And the babies?" Spencer suddenly blurted.

"They're not together anymore. What about the babies?" Aria shrugged and handed him a water bottle.

"Nevermind." Spencer mumbled, fumbling into her bag for her phone. Aria took a bite of orange chicken and after several gulps of it later, suddenly began to feel nauseas.

" Em… Trash please—" Aria vomited into the mini trashcan as Emily held her hair.

"Thanks." Aria gasped and wiped her mouth with a napkin. She looked at Ezra and saw the color green start to creep onto his face. She lightly chuckled and looked at the food, finding herself vomit once more. She got up, rinsed her mouth in the bathroom and stepped out.

"I'm gonna go back to my room for a little bit. I feel a little lightheaded." She said and swiftly made her way out of his room without much of a noise from the others. She rested back in her bed once more and drifted off into sleep.

**"_Hello?"_**

Aria opened her eyes slightly and glanced at the heavy hospital door, the gap between the room and the hallway inching bigger and bigger. She saw a pair of chucks, some hairy legs that connected to them, and what she thought looked like a bouquet of roses in this person's hands. The sun that streamed from the window hurt her vision. Blurriness seemed to be her only enemy right now.

"Aria."

She recognized the voice now. Her eyes shot open.

Thane.


	23. Chapter 23: A book tour for Aria

**Mingabu! **Sorry for being a little delayed, I've been a bit busy lately. Enjoy chapter 23 of Summer Affairs!

**_Oh, and..._**

I'm going to start looking at baby names, so leave your suggestion as a review or something. Remember, Rebecca's having a baby boy. Think of a Rebecca like baby name ;P And Spencer and Aria do not know the gender of their babies, so yeah. Boy and Girl names, everyone!**_  
><em>**

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><p>Immediately, Aria pulled her knees up to her chest under the covers. She did <em>not <em>want him anywhere near her.

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Leave."

"Aria…" He quietly shut the door and slowly walked over to her, the bouquet tightly in his hand.

"Stop." She whispered, still shocked. He halted and set down the flowers on a table.

"I'm sorry… Rebecca told me what happened…" He said and took a seat on a chair.

"I'm so sorry, Aria. I was drunk… I would never do that to you."

"That's no excuse, Thane. And you already have."

"I'm sorry! I can't even imagine how much pain you're in…" His voice cracked. She bit her lip and suddenly felt sympathetic. She could tell he truly did feel sorry.

"I'll never do that ever again. I'm never going to set my hands on a drink. Never." He promised.

She sighed. "You don't have to, Thane."

"But I want to. I don't want that to ever happen to you again, Aria. I really like you and I was hoping we'd start fresh from scratch. Let's just forget all about last night." He said, getting up from his spot and moving closer to her.

"Well, I can't forget about last night just like that, Thane. It really hurt me." She choked, remembering the events of the previous night.

"We can still be together, right?" He hoped, stopping in front of her bed and grabbing her hand in his. She shook her head, her hair lightly shaking loose from its bun. She let go of his hand.

His face dropped. "I… I understand. I'm sorry again, Aria. I hope you know that."

"We can still be friends… And I know you are." She said and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

The edges of his lips slightly twitched downwards. "Yeah… I, I have to go. Again, I'm sorry for everything that happened last night. I hope you get well soon." He inhaled a deep sigh and moved closer to the door before pausing to look at her. "Bye, Aria." Aria gave a small nod.

"Thanks for the flowers." He nodded and left, the bouquet of flowers remained untouched for the rest of the day.

Aria woke up the next day to find Kathleen silently scribbling down several things into a planner. She yawned and stretched her arms out in front of her, curious to why she was there.

"Kathleen?" Her voice sounded similar to one that belonged to a frog. She lightly coughed.

"Aria, darling! I'm so happy to see you alright and functioning!" Kathleen sighed in relief and gave Aria an awkward hug.

"You are doing okay, right?"

Aria nodded and laughed. "Yes Kathleen, I am."

"Oh, good! When do you think you can get out of this place? We don't have much time." Kathleen noted while scanning her planner.

Aria's eyebrows came together, confused. "I think tomorrow morning… What do you mean? Time for what?"

"Your book tour for your short story book and Past her Horizon across the country… Remember? I gave you a heads up months ago." Kathleen's eye twitched. Suddenly it came to Aria: The book tour and publicity outings. That was set to date tomorrow.

"Oh, right!" Aria remembered.

"I have to reschedule this thing as soon as you're fit! My oh my, this is already stressing me to the bone." Kathleen exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Kathleen. I'll get my things packed as soon as possible and then I'll be good to go on the 10th." Aria assured her stressed out editor, who sighed in relief in response. A day and a half to get packed and get everything settled.

"Thank you, dear. I can now finally reschedule everything… But first, I'm going to visit my nephew. I'll see you later, Aria." Kathleen smiled and exited the room, her heels clacking against the cold hospital floor. She entered Ezra's room.

"Ezra, my poor nephew." She cooed, giving him a peck on the cheek. He gave an uncomfortable chuckle.

"Aunt Kathleen, hi." He greeted and pressed the OFF button on the remote he was holding before setting it down beside him.

"What happened." She demanded. He grunted and explained the story once again, leaving out several large parts.

"Poor things. When can you leave, dearie?" She asked, giving him a sympathetic look. He shrugged.

"Soon, I hope."

"Hopefully before Aria and I leave…" She said and looked at her planner.

"What? Leave where?" He asked, fully unaware of her soon to be absence.

"Aria's going on a book tour across the country… She'll be having book signings and such to promote the last book she published, with the short stories, and Past her Horizon. It'll only be a month or two." She replied simply. His jaw dropped.

"Aunt Kathy, do you mind getting Aria for me? I need to talk to her."

She nodded and fetched Aria, who was busy typing a chapter of her own book on her laptop Spencer brought for her. Kathleen left the two alone to go get something to eat at the hospital cafeteria.

"Hey." Aria smiled and gave him a kiss. He scooted so that Aria could have enough room to get in with him. She plopped down onto the bed and cuddled with him.

"So, what's this about a book tour across the country?" He blurted, taking her hand in his.

She bit her lip. "Oh, that. Well I'll be leaving in a few days for that tour. It'll only be a few months…" She started and looked at his face, which was clearly hurt.

"I'm sorry, Ezra. I forgot all about it until Kathleen came in today." She sighed and curled up next to his body. She pressed an ear against the sheer hospital gown and listened to his heartbeat. It was neither too fast or too slow, which made it strangely calming to Aria.

"I wish you could come with me… I don't want to go alone." Her voice quavered a bit. He wrapped both arms around her small torso comfortingly.

"I wish I could come with you, too. But I don't know when I'm getting out of this place. Then I'll have to get my stuff from Rebecca's and I'll have to start attending meetings at Hollis since classes start soon… I just wish I could come with you, love." He sighed and pulled her up so that her head could rest on his shoulder.

"Actually, Spencer told me Rebecca's done the job for you. You just have to pick your things up at the condo." She spoke. He cocked an eyebrow up.

"Really?"

She nodded and was pulled in another kiss. "I don't want to go, Ezra. I just want to go home with you and be lazy for the rest of our lives."

"That'd be nice. But that's not going to happen for a long time, my love. For now you'll have to be the bestselling author you are for a month or two and deal with it whether you like it or not."

"Gee, thanks for the encouraging words, Professor Fitz." She scoffed playfully.

"Anytime, Mommy Aria." He grinned and pressed a hand on her abdomen. She smiled warmly at her new nickname.

"Mommy Aria?" She giggled.

"And Daddy Ezra." He softly chuckled.

"I like Daddy Fitz better." She smirked. He pressed a kiss on her forehead. The two stayed in each other's arms silently for several minutes.

"I don't have anywhere to stay." He suddenly remembered and groaned.

"Don't be stupid. You can stay with me and Spencer, that is if she actually approves."

"I hope she does." The two lightly chuckled.

"Oh, she better. It doesn't matter, really. She'll be moving out soon, anyway." She remembered. "Oh shit. Her wedding is in a few weeks…" She groaned and buried her head into the pillow.

"Just tell Kathleen you'll need to skip a weekend or two. She'll understand." He reasoned and tousled her dark brown hairs softly. She turned back to him and sighed.

"I sure hope so."

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><p>Just a reminder about the baby names! Leave a review with your suggestions!<p> 


	24. Chapter 24: Bye Ezra, Hello Candie!

**Chao! **I have nothing to say except that I hate Arson and that you should keep the baby names coming. Rebecca-like name for a boy and both gender names for Spencer and Ezria's babies! Happy reading another boring chapter!

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><p>"Spence, Ezra will be here at 7 Tuesday morning, so just show him around and stuff, okay? Do not bully him." Aria put on a thin layer of gloss on before popping her lips in her little owl shaped compact. She watched as Spencer rolled her eyes and adjusted the hat she was wearing.<p>

"I'm not kidding!" She gave Spencer a stern look.

"I'm sure he knows where everything is, Aria. I'm pretty sure he's been here several times." Spencer chuckled, remembering the times when she'd see Ezra only in a towel with Aria in her bathrobe in the kitchen late at night.

"Whatever. Just make him feel at home, okay? Please don't scare him off while I'm gone." Aria said.

Spencer saluted Aria playfully. "Yes, ma'am." Aria grinned and gave her a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you! I'll be back on the 11th for your bridal shower. Love you!" Aria squeezed Spencer as hard as she could without putting too much pressure on both of them. She let go, waved a goodbye to her best friend and headed out the door with her luggage tightly secured in her hands. She just had one more goodbye to give: Ezra.

**One hour later**

Aria arrived at the hospital. She strolled down the familiar hallways and lightly knocked on Ezra's door before opening it. She found him peacefully asleep and began to question if she should really wake him. Sighing, Aria set down the take out box of chow mein and scrambled around for a piece of paper and a pen to write with. With a pen in hand and still no paper, she looked at him deeply surrendered to sleep until suddenly she heard a faint laugh come out of his closed mouth.

Aria gave him a puzzled look. "Ezra?" She lightly prodded his arm, but he would not budge. "Ezra?" She said a bit more louder this time. He chuckled, louder than before, once more, his mouth beginning to take form in a smile. She burst out laughing at the goofy expression drawn on his face. Instantly the smile disappeared and his eyes flickered open.

"Aria? Was your flight cancelled?" He yawned, got up, and stretched his arms, then wrapped them around Aria's slender waist.

"No, I just came to give you some of your favorite food before I travel the country. I forgot for a second that you laugh in your sleep." She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. He planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Well, you might have to get used to it, love." He grinned, let go of Aria, and eagerly took the box from the table and began to devour it with his chopsticks.

"Mmm, this is really good. Thanks for the noodles." He said, feeding a small portion of it to Aria. She chewed on it slowly.

"I'm going to miss you so much." Her eyes began to water while he quickly wiped his face with a napkin. He hoisted her up onto his lap and pulled her legs in.

"I'm going to miss you too, Aria. But the two months will be over in a flash, I promise. Then you get to see me every single day, my love." He assured the teary eyed woman in his lap. She nodded painfully and wiped the tears that somehow escaped out of her eyes with the back of her hands.

"Damn hormones." She sniffled and rested her head on his shoulder. He lightly chuckled.

"I love you." He mumbled and gently knotted his hands into her silky hair. She sniffled again and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"I love you, too. Call me every day, Ezra Fitz. If you don't I'll probably go into cardiac arrest thinking you're in grave danger or something." She said, the tears drying already. He nodded.

"Every day, every hour!" He laughed, then gave her another kiss, a longer, more passionate one this time. By the time they broke apart, their breaths were uneven and longing for air.

"We better stop before you miss your flight." Ezra breathed heavily.

"Well then I better go, Kathleen's probably already impatient. I'll call you when I get to Boise. I love you." She said before getting up. She gave him another kiss.

"I love you too. Take good care of my babies!" He called.

"I will, Fitz. Take care of my Bailey! Love you." She gave a painful smile.

"You never said—" He began, but she had already shut the door. He sighed and slumped back onto his pillows, already missing her.

**A week later **

Aria impatiently sat on the loveseat in the hotel, her knee jiggling beneath the shear material of her skirt. Kathleen sat beside her holding her planner while glancing at her watch every five seconds. They were now in Seattle, Washington, waiting for the interview Kathleen set up for Aria.

"Where are these interviewers? We can't afford to waste a second!" Kathleen huffed. Aria turned her head and rolled her eyes to prevent her editor from seeing.

"Oh, oh! That's them!" Kathleen clapped and hopped up from her seat, waving her arms around for the group of people. They headed towards the two.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting, we were stuck in traffic. There was an accident on 37th street." A tall, dark skinned lady apologized and took a seat across from them.

"It's alright, Candie." Kathleen assured, shaking the woman's hand. Aria smiled and shook her hand as well. A man with a camera set on a stand gave the woman a thumbs up, signaling that they were on air.

"We'll just get on along, then. How are you, Aria? I just finished your first book, Past her Horizon, and I just about bawled my heart out. What made you write such a powerful, yet tragic plot? Personal experience or is this all purely from the back of your head?" Candie, now identified as the interviewer, asked. Aria took a minute to think before coming up with an answer.

"Well, Candie, the plot itself is all made up, but the emotions the characters feel comes from personal experience." She said as honestly as she could.

"Ah, how interesting! Your emotion shows up very well as the story progresses and it really reflects onto the reader. Is that emotion stronger or weaker in your experience?"

"Um, well… It was much stronger. But the anger and hurt have long disappeared since then, I can assure you."

"Oh, that's good to hear. Let's talk about that new book you've been working on. Is it a sequel or what? Does it give the same feel as Past her Horizon and your collection of short stories?"

"It's not a sequel. It's just another story about love. I can't really say anything about the emotion behind it. I haven't gotten the chance to really review it since I'm very far behind on work. Those who have say it is very different from my first novel, though."

"Is there a reason why you're far behind on your work? We had to reschedule this interview, actually."

"Um.." Aria looked at Kathleen for guidance, but only received a quick shrug of her shoulders. The two were strictly told not to discuss the accident that happened last week just because it would bring unwanted attention to Aria. She breathed deeply and prepared herself to let out a lie when suddenly the food from breakfast began to travel up her throat. She quickly got up, ran into the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. Kathleen's clacky heels echoed into the barren bathroom.

"Aria, hun. Are you okay?" She asked, nervousness clearly evident in her voice. Aria vomited again, then flushed the toilet clean of the scum. She walked out of the stall and rinsed her mouth.

"Maybe I should let them know you've fallen ill. I'll just tell them really quick while you go up to your room and rest, dear." Kathleen frowned and trotted out the bathroom before Aria had a chance to reply. She sighed, left the bathroom and pressed the elevator button, surprised to an unexpected person about to exit the elevator in a rush.

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><p>Remember, baby names!<p> 


	25. Chapter 25: Ezra needs a new phone

**Hi guys.** I just realllly wanted to get this off my chest so here it goes. First, yes, I do know there are too many babies in this fan fic. Spencer's baby isn't actually associated with the plot, only Rebecca and Aria's. Second, I know that Aria and Ezra aren't exactly in their usual character, but I've been trying really hard to bring them to life, so cut me some slack. And I know that Ezra and Aria wouldn't normally do things like what happens in the story. Believe me, I've looked back on the chapters and instantly regretted what's been already published. I'm really hard on myself when it comes to my writing. Third, I'm sorry if I have any grammatical and spelling errors. That might be due to the fact that I write these late at night so I'm practically dead and I'm far too distracted during the day. I really should take more time re-reading what I write, so I might start posting every 2 days again. If you don't like this fan fic, don't read it. Simple as that, folks.

Oh, and before I tell you to go off and read, I must say this:

EZRA WAS SUCH AN ASS AT THE END OF THE DEVIL YOU KNOW UGH. Really, it's just a hug. She needed it. Students hug teachers all the time (well, not all the time) but still. Aria needed that hug. Not a virtual one coming from a call. Goodness boy.

Arson needs to die. Jackie is a bitch. I liked it when Ezra put his hand on Aria's thigh. That was nice. And the pookie bear conversation. That was nice too. Okay, here's chapter 25:

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><p>"Hanna? What are you doing here?" Aria gasped. Hanna widened her eyes.<p>

"Aria? I knew you were going to be in Seattle just not in this hotel. I was going to call you but Lacey… Lacey's missing." Hanna cried and looked frantically around the lobby. Aria followed her, ignoring the annoyed stares of the interviewers leaving.

"What? What happened?" Aria felt her heart break at the thought of little Lacey all alone or in the possible hands of an abuser.

"Upstairs in the ballroom a small fashion show took place and I had to be there since I'm one of the designers… Lacey wanted to come along and somehow she drifted away from me while I was working on a model and the next thing I know she's gone. I thought maybe she was with Caleb but I went back to the room and she wasn't with him. I need to find my little girl."

"Where's Caleb? Did you contact the police yet?" Aria asked.

"He's contacting everyone who was at the show. And no, not yet. I was hoping she'd show up sooner but I guess I'll have to. I'll just be a second."

After several minutes on the phone with the police, Hanna marched up to a concierge. "Hey have you seen a little girl about yay high," She indicated with a sweep of her hand to her mid thigh. "And she has dirty blond hair and…" The concierge shook his head and shrugged before she could even finish her sentence and left. Hanna huffed and started asking everyone in the lobby the same question but didn't get anything useful out of them. Finally she went up to the manager and requested assistance to help find her daughter. After describing what happened and Lacey's appearance, she gave Aria a worried look. "Come on, Aria, let's go to the park across here and maybe…" The two decided that they should split up with Aria in the hotel and Hanna outside of it. An hour and a half after the useless scouring, Aria received a call from Kathleen. Her editor was wondering where she was and that she better come to the lobby before they're late to the book signing at Borders. Sighing, Aria regretfully called Hanna to let her know about leaving the hotel for a few hours. Hanna made sure to tell her friend to spread the word about Lacey.

_Oh Lacey, where can you possibly be?_

**WITH EZRA **

Because Ezra was put in a wheelchair, Spencer served him every meal and cared for him when necessary while Aria was away. Spencer wasn't thrilled at the idea because her wedding was only a few weeks away, but eventually warmed up to him over time. He hated the fact she was doing so much for him, yet he was fully capable of doing it himself. If it weren't for those damn stairs…

"Ezra the phone's for you. Just make it quick I've got an important call on the other end." Spencer yelled. He rolled his way over to the phone and pressed a finger on the 'TALK' button.

"Hello?"

"Ezra… It's me, Rebecca." Ezra nearly choked on a grain of rice at the sound of her voice.

"I was just wondering if maybe… maybe I come over right now? I mean if Aria's okay with it…" The preppy lady he once loved has long disappeared judging by the sound of her voice. It was so soft, so different.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." He answered.

"Oh good. I'll be over in a sec. See you." She hung up before he could reply back. He told Spencer he was finished and hung up, dumbfounded to why she wanted to come over.

Ten minutes later, Rebecca was sitting on the couch, her hair in a tight bun and ankle tucked behind the other. She took in a deep breath while observing the spacious room.

"So… Where's Aria?" She asked awkwardly.

He awkwardly rolled himself beside the couch next to her. "She's in Seattle right now." And she would be until tomorrow afternoon.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"She's on a book tour across the country."

"Oh, lucky her."

"Rebecca, why are you here?" He didn't mean to sound so out there, but it just happened to come out that way.

"Well… I wanted to discuss baby names and our boy's future…"

"I told you, I'll still take care of him as well as Aria's. I'll be there 100% for our baby and—" He began, not realizing he just told her about Aria's pregnancy.

She cut him off. "Aria's pregnant?" He could see her jaw drop, then slowly clench together. He nodded and froze. This woman still has no idea he cheated on her.

**WITH ARIA**

Bored with 35 minutes to spare in the car, Aria gave Ezra a call on her phone, hoping he wasn't napping. After the third ring, he finally picked up.

"Hello?" His voice was unsteady, which made Aria raise her eyebrows.

**WITH EZRA**

"Hey. I miss you. I'm in a rental car, bored and lonely. And I'm going to lose my head worrying about Lacey, Hanna's daughter. She's missing." He stepped out of the room and into the hall.

He coated his dry lips with his saliva. "I miss you too. I hope Lacey's okay, I wish I was there with you to look for her. But listen, Aria I'm kind of busy at the moment. I'll call you as soon as I can."

"That'd be nice if you were here. And Busy? With what?" She asked. He could feel the confusion radiating from her head, through the phone and out the speaker.

"Just writing…" He lied.

"Oh, well can't you spare 20 minutes? I'm so bored." She begged. He sighed and took the phone off his ear, trying to lower the volume on the tiny flip device.

"Ezra? You there?" His eye twitched. Somehow, the phone switched to speaker mode, making Aria's voice echo off into the barren hallway.

"Mhm. Tell me about this interview that went down this morning." He said, trying to figure out how to turn the speaker off. He pressed the button to switch back, but being the ancient device it is, failed.

"It was awful. They were late and I threw up halfway through it. Damn I hate morning sickness so much." She grumbled. He cringed as her words echoed through the hall once more. The speaker was loud enough for Rebecca to hear her voice, and since there was no door, even easier for her to understand the words.

"I'm sorry, love. You're okay now, right?" He asked, still trying to figure the damn phone out.

"Yeah, thank god. It'd be so nice if you were here, Ezra. I miss you so much." Now he was literally annoyed at how terrible his phone was. Why does it have to disobey him now, with Rebecca just across the hall?

"I miss you too. Aria, I've got to go, okay love? I'm getting really tired. I'm so sorry. Call me later after your book signing. I love you." His voice became smaller after each word that slipped out of his mouth.

" Alright. I love you, too. Have a nice nap, bye." He hung up shortly after she did. He considered throwing his phone down the stairs, but decided not to because Aria would soon call.

"Sorry about that, Rebecca." He apologized and entered the room, an uncomfortable expression on his face.

"It's alright. I couldn't help but over hearing, but I guess Aria kind of confirmed the whole pregnancy thing while you were on the phone…" She blinked, her facial expression unchanging.

"Ah—Yeah. So the baby names…" He brought up, trying to lead the subject away from Aria.

"How far along is she?"

He cleared his throat. "Seven weeks."

She stayed silent. "The baby… It's not… It can't be… Or else… No, no, it can't." She sunk deeper into the sofa as he sucked in a breath.


	26. Chapter 26: Preppy Becky is no more

**Sawatdee khrab! **I'm tired and I want sleep badly. But I just had to post a chapter. I felt bad. Can you blame me? Whatever, I like toast. Yep. Okay, read on fellow fan fiction readers!

And don't forget, I still want baby names!

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><p>"The baby isn't yours, right Ezra? It can't be… You would never…" Ezra watched as Rebecca's face changed from confusion to hurt.<p>

"Ezra, please tell me the baby isn't yours…" He looked into her eyes for a brief moment and saw nothing but anxiety and pain. He turned his head away.

"I would… but—"

"You_ cheated_ on me? Ezra Fitz, did you _cheat _on me!" She practically yelled, her eyes instantly reflecting anger. He flinched and took a deep breath.

"Rebecca, please, calm down. I—I can explain." He remembered saying those words to her after accidentally telling her about his past relationship with Aria. Now it was about his most recent relationship with Aria.

"Calm down? _Calm down? _You can't just tell me to calm down, Ezra. I have a right to be mad because guess what? I just learned that my ex-fiance cheated on me with the girl across the street who I happily befriended. She also happened to be your girlfriend while you were her teacher. How am I supposed to be calm?" She snapped and gripped the edge of the coffee table.

"For the sake of the baby, please."

"Alright Ezra. Now what's this about you explaining? How long has this been going on?" He saw her knuckles turn white and knit his eyebrows together.

**WITH ARIA**

Aria sat at a table in front of Borders, a sharpie in hand and stacks of her books surrounding the table. In front of her stood a long line of both teenagers and adults, some patient while others weren't, waiting with their own copies and cameras. She happily took pictures with her fans and signed their books, each signature ending with a long and curly 'y'. She told each person about Lacey being missing and sighed. Although the outside looked fine, the inside couldn't help wonder why Ezra sounded so squirmy on their previous phone call. Fifteen minutes in, Aria excused herself to a bathroom break and stuck herself in a stall. Her fingers quickly dialed Spencer's number, hoping her best friend was home to answer Aria's curiosity.

**WITH SPENCER**

The room burst with some of Spencer's favorite classical songs while Spencer neatly folded her clothes into an empty luggage. She'd be moving in with Toby soon after the wedding, so packing was clearly essential when she received a sliver of free time. Her eyes caught on to her vibrating phone that read in big white letters 'ARIA MONTGOMERY". She pulled the buds out of her ears and answered it.

"Hi Spence. Look I don't have a lot of time but can I ask you to do a big favor?" Aria said in a hushed tone on the other line.

"Uh, sure Aria."

"Ezra sounded a little weird on the phone earlier… Can you check on him or something?"

Spencer raised her eyebrows and agreed. She put Aria on hold, made Ezra a cup of coffee, and headed upstairs. Her eyes widened at the sound of Rebecca's high voice ringing in the living room. She took a deep breath and popped her head into the empty door frame.

"Hi, um, Ezra… Rebecca." She gave a friendly nod towards Rebecca, whose face was a shade of pink and red. "I got you some coffee. Would you like some too Rebecca?" Rebecca shook her head lightly.

"Thanks, but no thanks Spencer." She tightened her jaw and glowered her gaze at Spencer.

"Urm, here Ezra." She quickly walked to the man in the wheelchair and placed the cup and saucer on the coffee table in front of him. He nodded his thanks and she awkwardly left the room and down the stairs. She stayed silent and waited until someone spoke up.

"Now that she's gone… Continue." Rebecca's snobby tone broke the silence above. Spencer listened closely and ran back into her room.

"Aria? You still there?" She asked, hoping she didn't hang up.

"Yeah, But I don't have that much time, Spence. I'm supposed to be signing books right now. Just tell me what's going on."

"Well first of all, Rebecca's here."

"What? Why?" Aria gasped.

"I have no idea but she doesn't sound too—"

"Agh, I have to go. I'll call you later, okay?" Aria groaned as a woman's voice urged her to go back in the background. Before she could respond, she heard the click of Aria's phone, indicating the call's end.

**WITH EZRA**

In thirty minutes or less, Ezra explained his summer to his former fiancée. He watched as her face changed from angry to sad and then back to angry throughout his explaining. At times, Rebecca would let out a whimper or a groan through her very pink lips.

"I'm sorry Rebecca. I didn't realize how much it'd hurt us all in the end and…"

"Save it Ezra." She glared at him as she slipped on her flats and stood up from the couch. "Oh, and by the way, I was thinking about naming the baby Zander or Dylan. Just a heads up in case you and Aria wanted to name your baby that." She flashed a fake smile and stalked out of the house. He sat in his wheelchair, his jaw completely unhinged and eyes widened.

**WITH ARIA**

_What is Rebecca even doing there? _Aria thought to herself as she smiled into the small lens of a woman's camera. Satisfied, the woman thanked her and left her with a cluster of teens who were perhaps college freshmen. She signed their copies and took a picture with each individual. _Sure, she could be just dropping off an ultrasound picture or a stash of Ezra's books, but it doesn't seem right by the way Spencer and Ezra sounded on the phone. _Aria watched as a married couple with a sniffling toddler passed by the store. _Maybe Rebecca wants Ezra back? Oh dear god, please no. _Her head swam with thoughts of the possibilities to why the preppy therapist was at her condo back in Rosewood. She wondered why Ezra lied and why Spencer sounded so confused and so many other things that her brain could just blow up there right on the spot. Her stomach churned and made unpleasant noises. She felt herself gag at the smell of the different variety of foods in the food court, but put on a brave face until the book signing ended three hours later. She strolled around the mall and found herself in a baby store looking at the tiny outfits on display. She smiled at a little pink polo shirt, then suddenly frowned. That pink polo showed nothing but Rebecca. Taking a deep breath, she took out her phone and dialed in Ezra's number.

"Hello?" Ezra's voice answered from the other line.

"Hi Ezra. I'm at the mall, looking at baby clothes. It's weird how small these things are… It's unreal."

"Babies are quite small, love. Anything catch your eye?" He asked. She could hear him crunching on something on the other end.

"Nothing really. Just a pink polo shirt. It reminds me of Rebecca." She giggled nervously.

"Oh? Really."

"Yup. I… Um. Ezra, what was Rebecca doing there this afternoon?" She blurted.

"What… How'd you know?" He asked, clearly caught off guard.

"Spencer. She told me." She quietly replied back and stumbled across a display of baby shoes. She couldn't help but smile at how detailed the small shoes were.

"Ah, well. Rebecca wanted to discuss baby names and what not… Then I accidentally may have told her about you being pregnant."

She instantly dropped the shoe. "And?"

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><p>Thank you to EzraandAriaForever for the name Zander! You're awesome. P.S. The baby name for Rebecca's boy isn't official yet, so... Still need some baby names. Lalala, I'm going to sleep now.<p> 


	27. Chapter 27: Lacey's flashback

**Saluton! **So first, sorry for being a little late posting this chapter. Screw you, procrastination. Second, I want this ezria sex scene to come sooner. Third, Lucy fricking Hale replied me on twitter. Sorry, I just had to get that out. If you must know my twitter is CherishNelena. Don't laugh at the user, I've had it since forever and will continue having it since it's so dear to me :P Okay well here's a longer than usual chapter. Enjoy.

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><p>"Ezra, why didn't you just tell me she was there? Oh my god, what did she say? What did <em>you<em> say?" Aria asked, her voice rising at each word, which earned her several odd stares throughout the store.

"I didn't want to put any more stress on you." Ezra's voice sounded gruff through the phone.

She rolled her eyes. "Well you did. And it sucked." She picked up the shoe that had previously fallen out of her hand off the ground and back onto the table.

"I'm sorry!" He apologized.

She sighed. "It's alright, I understand. Just tell me what happened earlier."

"Well after accidentally telling her you're pregnant she went off on me asking if I cheated on her and such. After that I pretty much spilled everything about the affair. She, being Rebecca, stalked out of the condo after I finished. And she's thinking about naming the baby Zander or Dylan." He sighed grimly, remembering the way Rebecca stalked out of the house.

"Well, I can't blame her. She could've gone without the bitch fit, though. Zander? Dylan? Those are… nice." She fought back the urge to vomit. Barf has traveled up her throat far too many times today.

"Whatever floats her boat, I guess. Dylan's okay. I'm not sure if I can tolerate a son with the name Zander, though. I don't want the boy to be picked on."

She lightly chuckled and skimmed through a rack of baby girl clothes. "These clothes are so cute! It's like being in a doll closet here… I hope we end up with at least one girl." She rubbed the fabric that protected her still-flat stomach with her free hand.

"We'll just have to wait and see, love. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? I love you."

"I love you too. Bye."

_Click._

**Two days later**

Aria watched the trees flash by as little green blurbs, extremely worried about the still missing Lacey. She left Seattle a day ago and was now heading to Olympia, the state's capitol. There, she'd have another book signing and several interviews before leaving the state completely to Portland, Oregon. She remembered the moment she left Hanna. Instead of using her shopping and sightseeing time, she stayed at the hotel to comfort her best friend, who was busy swallowing down Ben and Jerry's and checking her phone every five minutes. Hanna was hysterical while Caleb continued to search for their missing child. Aria could only imagine how Hanna was doing without her.

"Aria dear, we're here." Kathleen's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Aria nodded and pulled herself out the car and into the mall, where the book signing and interviews were supposed to take place. She plopped down onto a plush couch and sighed in relief. Thank god they didn't provide her with the wooden or plastic chairs they normally use.

An hour into the book signing, a young girl ran through the line, her small body squeezing through the little space the people provided. She scuttled her way around the large glass coffee table and plopped herself onto Aria's lap. Her short hands tightly wrapped around her waist.

"Auntie Awia." The girl sniffled. Aria lifted the girl's head up and was astonished to find herself looking at Lacey Rivers' blue eyes. She looked up to find the remainder of people in line looking at them, some impatient while others utterly confused. After several minutes of begging, Kathleen finally granted Aria's wish for a fifteen minute break.

"Lacey! Oh my god, what happened? How'd you end up here? Oh my god, everyone's been worried sick about you. Especially your mommy and daddy." She gave her a tight hug and released her.

"Awia I wanna go home." Lacey sniffled and buried her head into Aria's stomach. She sighed and stroked Lacey's dirty blond hair.

"You will, Lacey. I promise. I'm just going to call your mommy and daddy, okay?" Aria watched as Lacey bobbed her head up and down and dialed in Hanna's number. After several rings, Hanna finally answered.

"Did you find out anything about Lacey, Aria?" Hanna asked instantly.

"Yeah, I found her. Well actually, she found me. We're at—"

Hanna let out a high squeal and started sobbing. "She's there with you? Oh my god, let me talk to my baby, please Aria." Aria handed the phone over to Lacey.

"Mommy? I miss you. I want to come home… Yes, I'm okay… Someone took me to an ice cweam pawlor and… I know about stwanger danger, mommy! I was bored and they took me to get ice cweam and after they did they gave me a bunch of moneys so I ran away and hid… No I don't know who it was. Okay." Lacey held the phone up to Aria's ear.

"Hi Han. Listen, I'll drive over to Seattle as soon as possible to drop her off. I just have a few more interviews to go. Just contact the police and tell them that she's safe."

"Caleb's already calling them. Take extra care of Lacey, Aria. Can you put her back on the phone?" Hanna asked, her sniffles hardly audible.

"I will. Sure." Aria smiled and gently cupped the 6 year olds arm and set it to her ear. She picked her up and put her behind her on the couch.

**An hour later**

By the time the book signing ended, Lacey was already communicating with several other toddlers who came up with their parents. Each and every person in line came and asked Aria several questions and commented on Lacey.

"Oh how adorable! Is this your daughter?"

"What a cute daughter you have there, Ms. Montgomery!"

"I thought you didn't have any children?"

With each reply, Aria became more and more annoyed. She looked nothing like the small girl. Lacey had dirty blond pigtails and light blue eyes while Aria had dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Finally, Aria's annoyance grew to an all time high during an interview for a gossip magazine writing a special page in honor of Aria's books.

_During the interview_

"Aria Montgomery, how are you? And who is this?" A tall woman with curly black hair asked while smiling at the little girl whose hand was tightly in Aria's. Lacey settled herself on the leather couch beside Aria.

"I'm Lacey!" She chirped.

"Oh well hello Lacey!" Olive, the interviewer with the curly hair, laughed and shook the toddler's hand.

"Hi."

"Well Aria, is this your daughter? You two look nothing alike!" Olive chuckled.

"No, this is a friend's daughter. Just looking after her for a while."

"Oh I see, I see. While on the subject of children, will you ever choose to have any?"

Aria paused for a long minute. "Hopefully soon."

"Oh? Are you seeing anyone? It says here you aren't married." Olive asked, her voice suddenly sounding a lot like Rebecca's: Squeaky, high, annoying.

"I, um, yeah. I am. Olive I don't mean to sound rude but can we start talking about the book, please?"

_An hour after the interview_

"Now that we have some free time, Lacey, can I ask you what happened two days ago?" She asked and watched as Lacey picked several flowers in a meadow.

"Well…"

_**Lacey's flashback**_

_Lacey Rivers wandered around backstage, not expecting the fashion show to be this boring. She tugged on her mother's arm, but only received an ignorant shrug. The dirty blond haired toddler pouted and marched herself out of the ballroom with her favorite pink flats her mother gave her. She wandered around the hotel aimlessly, only hoping to find her father. She hit the elevator button again and looked up to see a friendly looking couple waiting in the elevator, luggage surrounding their space. Lacey stepped inside carelessly and hit another random button._

"_Hi little girl." The man from the couple spoke and flashed a warm smile at Lacey. She backed away from them._

"_Oh don't mind me, I'm your mommy's friend, Greg. This is Natalia, your mommy's other friend. We're here to take you out for some ice cream." Greg gently said and moved closer to the blue eyed girl. She looked at them, curiosity glimmering in her eyes._

"_Are you sure?" She asked and took a step towards them._

"_Why would we be lying? Your mommy forgot to tell us your name." _

"_It's Alice. But you can call me Lacey." She said, still fully unaware that these people were strangers and not friends of her mother._

"_That's a pretty name." Natalia finally spoke up. The elevator dinged and opened its doors to the front lobby. They all stepped out._

"_So Lacey, we'll be taking you to Dairy Queen, okay sweetheart? We'll get you anything you want from there, I promise."Lacey happily agreed and the three headed out the doors._

_An hour later, Lacey and the couple entered the cooled Dairy Queen in the mall. Lacey gleefully swallowed her ice cream._

"_Greg, can I have some moneys? I wanted to buy some more ice cweam." Greg raised his eyebrows but coughed up the money, a green fifty dollar bill. Lacey squealed and pretended to go up to the counter, then ran out into the mall, making sure the two weren't following her. Three floors up she found herself in Toys R Us among the giant teddy bears in the back. She nestled herself behind the bears so no one could see her and cried, only wishing she was with her parents. She woke herself from her two hour nap and, once she was sure the couple weren't there anymore, began to explore the giant mall. Her meals came easily considering she only bought McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy's. By the time nightfall set Lacey hid again among the giant stuffed animals and stayed very quiet. It happened again the next night, and just when she thought she'd spend another night among her furry friends, she saw a large poster of Aria Montgomery in front of the bookstore. The whole day she began to check if Aria was there, but after another power nap, she realized she was late for her 'Auntie's' book signing. She raced towards the bookstore and through crowds of both teenagers and adults. After hours of waiting she finally reached Aria, relieved to find a familiar face for once._

_**End of Lacey's flashback**_

Aria gave Lacey a tight hug after she finished her story.

"Oh Lacey, thank god you're a smart little girl. Don't forget to tell your parents the whole story. They'll need it so they can track down this Natalia and Greg. And here, take a shower Lacey." Aria said and handed her a clean towel, a bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo. Lacey eagerly took it and headed into the bathroom.

After what seemed like a million more questions about Lacey, Aria finally dropped off the six year old off at the hotel in Seattle after her last interview in Washington, where Hanna became yet again hysterical. She gave a big hug to each person and left the big reunion, her mood sour from all the questions slash hormones. At least Lacey's back where she belongs.

**Three weeks later**

"So Aria hun, we've been invited to have dinner with the governor of Utah, his wife and two children. Dress up really fancy my dear and be ready by 6:00, alright? I'll meet you at this address," Kathleen handed her a piece of paper, "And I'll see you there. I've just got to run and meet up with some old pals in the city."

"The governor of Utah? Why's he here and not in… Utah." Aria asked.

"He scheduled a dinner decades ago but when you got into that accident the dates all got mixed up and today's his only free day." Kathleen responded. Aria slowly nodded, already wondering what the hell she was going to wear for the governor.

**At 6:00**

After plenty of outfit changes, Aria finally came out to the address Kathleen directed Aria to. The place was a fancy five star restaurant only serving the finest cuisines of the world. She scoffed.

_Ding!_

_Aria, I'm sorry I am stuck in traffic. I don't think I'll be able to make it. I wish you luck! –Kathleen_

Her jaw dropped open after reading the text and she started to hyperventilate. She nervously stood in front of the doors and silently began to debate on what she was to do. _What will I do without Kathleen? _She nervously thought to herself and suddenly wished she had her knitting needles, her stress relievers. Instead, she nervously bit her newly painted nails.

"Relax, you'll be fine without Kathleen. I'll be there with you, my love, so quit biting your nails." Aria turned around and saw the man whom she loves standing behind her in a suit and tie using crutches for support.

"_Ezra? _Oh my god!"

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><p>Yeah okay well I thought putting the whole Lacey story in the story would be fun but it turned out to be a total flop. Sorry for any grammatical mistakes. I know I should but I'm way too tired to check. See you soon!<p> 


	28. Chapter 28: Reunited at last!

**Zdravstvuite! **I blame Pam Fields for bringing Jason back to Rosewood. This weeks episode wasn't as exciting as I thought it'd be :/ So this chapter should make up for the episode 207's lack of ezria cuteness. Whatever, I'm happy Ezra Fitz was actually there and will be in the next couple episodes. Enjoy this fluffy chapter of Summer Affairs!

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><p>Grinning, Aria ran and gave Ezra a kiss.<p>

"What are you doing here?" She asked and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Just thought I'd spend Labor Day weekend in California with the person I love. I hope you aren't mad." He smirked while gently nuzzling her hair with his nose.

"Well as long as I'm this person you love, then no. But if I'm not," She let go of him and crossed her arms, "Then yes, I am mad."

He chuckled and lightly tapped her leg with a crutch. "It so happens that you, Aria Montgomery, are the one and only person I love."

"What about the little ones?" She asked, rubbing her tummy.

"Okay, I guess all three of the people I love are in California. Come on, let's go meet this governor." He said. She opened the door and they went in. The restaurant was dim with only brightly lit candles scattered about the place. It was empty except for the woman who took them to their seats. Playing lightly in the background was their song, Happiness.

"Where's the governor? Kathleen said…"

"The governor is probably in Utah eating dinner with his family." He interrupted and set a red cloth onto his lap.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Really? So Kathleen lied?"

He nodded. "It's just you and me."

"And the twins."

"_And_ the twins. Have you thought up of any baby names?" He asked, taking a look through the menu.

"No, I'm just hoping the names would run across the street or on TV and know that's what we'll be naming our kids. How's Rebecca? Still having trouble with what to name your child?" She asked and took a sip of cranberry juice from a wine glass.

"I haven't talked to her since I told her that you're pregnant." He admitted.

"She doesn't know you're here? What if something happens to either one of them and they need you?" She asked, her voice rising.

"Aria, I tried to tell her. She refuses to talk to me. Trust me, I have tried my best." He grunted and sipped his hot tea. She stayed silent until the waitress came back to take their orders. After she left, Aria finally broke her silent barrier.

"Ezra, have you been planning this date with Kathleen?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I originally planned on telling you, but the whole governor plan Aunt Kathleen made up sounded so much better. I reserved the whole restaurant and… the next thing is a surprise." He grinned as she groaned.

"No more surprises. Of all people, _you _should know that I hate them. Even if this surprise was actually pleasant, unlike the surprise you gave me on Christmas." She rolled her eyes.

_**Flashback**_

_The snow on the ground was soft and crunchy under foot in Rosewood that Christmas night. Normally the weather would be violent with hail storms and fierce winds, but fortunately Rosewood managed to avoid that this year._

_Ezra Fitz had just finished his family dinner in Connecticut and was back in Rosewood after 72 hours with his family. He intended to surprise Aria by coming home several hours early just because he felt the need to see his girlfriend. She was at his apartment at the moment because he asked her to pick up his mail for the time being he was gone. Just for the heck of it, he managed to put himself into her unlocked car as she dropped the mail off in his apartment. He ducked in the backseat with a small box wrapped in his hands and waited until she came in._

"_Merry Christmas!" He yelled and popped out of his spot._

"_HOLY SHIT!" She screamed and hit her head on the steering wheel while she put the keys in ignition, making the car beep. He burst out laughing, something not very normal for him, and got out of the car and back into the passenger seat._

"_That. Was. Gold." He chuckled and placed the gift onto her lap._

"_What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be home tomorrow morning! Oh my god Ezra you scared the shit out of me." She snapped._

"_I just thought that I'd come home early to spend the remainder of Christmas with the person I love. Open the present." He smiled and gave her a kiss. She smiled and eagerly opened the gift._

"_Ezra, it's beautiful. Thank you." She gasped and closely examined the diamond necklace in the box. He took it out of the box and put it around her neck._

"_You look stunning, even in your pajamas. There's more in the box." _

_She blushed and dug around the box once more to find a pair of feather earrings. "These are perfect, Ezra. Thank you. Your present is up in your apartment." They both got out of the car and walked hand in hand into his apartment in the darkness. Aria flicked the switch on and gave him his present._

"_Merry Christmas, honey!" _

_He opened the gift and lifted a pair of socks from the box. _

"_Socks?" _

"_I just thought that you needed some new socks. They're the only thing that's unattractive about you after you bike ride. Too bad they don't make feet deodorant." She giggled and watched his face scrunch up._

"_Relax Mr. Fitz, here's your real present." She picked up a smaller box from behind and gave it to him. Inside lay a leather watch._

_He grinned. "Thank you, Aria. This is great. I love it." He leaned in and gave her a long kiss. He pressed his forehead to hers and continued kissing her._

"_Ouch!" She suddenly groaned and felt her forehead. She scurried into the bathroom and frowned._

"_Why didn't you tell me that there's a huge bump on my head?"_

"_I didn't notice it until now." He admitted as she walked back to the couch._

"_Thanks for giving me this." She pointed at the bump and glared at him. He brushed her hair away from her forehead and kissed the small bump. "All better?" Aria couldn't help but smile at his innocent adorableness._

"_All better."_

_**End of Flashback**_

He nodded and stifled laughed. "Just one more surprise, love. I promise."

"I doubt it." She scoffed and grabbed his large hands from across the table. He smiled and placed his fingers in between the spaces of her own.

"I've missed you so much, Aria. I swear I haven't been this happy in the longest time."

"I've missed you too, Ezra. You are such a fluff ball. I don't want you and your fluffiness to leave me."

"I'll be here the whole weekend, my love. I'm going to spend every breath I take here with you. And in a week you'll be back in Rosewood for Spencer's wedding, anyways." He reassured the saddened mother-to-be.

"But that's only 6 days total!" She moaned.

"Once this book tour is over, we'll have eighteen years together whether we want it or not."

"What if I want it to be more than eighteen years? What if the twins still live with us until they're you or me's age?" She asked, not sure if she should hint at the idea of marriage to him.

"Aria…" He began. The waitress placed their food in front of them and left. He took a big bite of pasta into his mouth. They continued to eat in silence.

"Aria, if I asked you to marry me, then would you say yes?" He suddenly asked after gulping down a hunk of chicken. She looked stunned and dabbed the edges of her mouth with the cloth.

"Now? It's a little soon, don't you think?"

"Not now. But maybe soon, who knows? You are really the only woman I see in my future… other then Rebecca, but she's in it whether I want her to or not. I really do love you, Aria."

She began to tear up a bit. "These hormones really suck, Ezra. I love you." She sniffled and quickly wiped the minor tears off her cheeks. The two continued with small talk throughout the dinner and dessert. Ezra paid for the dinner and they headed out to find a limo waiting for them in front of the restaurant.

"What is it with you and limos when it comes to fancy dates?" She asked and smirked. The driver opened the door for the two.

"Well this is different. It's a limo in California." He commented and set his crutches along the seat across them.

"There's a difference?" She asked. He shrugged. Several minutes passed by.

"Now, you're last surprise for the night." He announced as they pulled up to the location. They stepped out. In front of them the September sun was setting and the sky was changing colors. The ocean bordered the shore several yards away from a blanket that was stretched out on the sand.

"This is… just breathtaking." She breathed. He led her over to the blanket and together they sat in silence, admiring the view. She cuddled into his chest.

"I wish I had different clothes on." She sighed and breathed in his cologne. He sat up and grabbed the basket next to him.

"There are clothes in here. I brought them from your condo." He took out a short night gown and a thong.

"Hey! You had no right to go through that drawer!" She gasped and playfully hit him.

"Spencer helped me pack some of your clothes. She just suggested you wear these tonight." He winked. She blushed. _Spencer…_

"I missed you so much…" He began nipping her neck lightly.

"Hold it Mr. Fitz, let me change." She giggled.


	29. Chapter 29: When Aria's patience dies

**Aloha! **Sorry for such a rushed chapter, but I hope you like it. And I've been lacking reviews lately, which makes me sad. I want to know your feedback. And baby names are still open for Spencer and Rebecca's babies. ANDDD HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MZPINK4! Have a good one, girl! Enjoy this rushed and just plain crappy chapter of Summer Affairs!

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><p>With her hair up and eyelashes curled, Aria patiently waited for Ezra, who was busy picking up some food for the two before her live TV interview. She sat in the hotel room until he showed up with a bag of burgers in his hand.<p>

"One cheeseburger and a carton of chocolate milk for Miss Montgomery!" He chuckled and set the bag down.

"Thanks babe." She said and took a bite of it. She closed her eyes and indulged in the flavor.

"Mm, it's really good. No pickles." She grinned. He laughed and kissed her temple.

"Because I know you'd kick me out of California if I forgot to ask to leave the pickle."

"I wouldn't kick you out! You're only here for another day." She frowned and sipped her chocolate milk through a bendy straw.

"If I were to be here for a whole week, then would you kick me out?" He asked after gulping down some coffee.

"Nope. I'd probably just shun you for a couple hours until I felt guilty." She winked and threw a pillow at his head.

"Hey! Now my hair's messed up. You don't want your boyfriend to look attractive while he's at your first TV interview, do you?"

"Your hair is always messy, Mr. Fitz. It's what makes you attractive." She laughed. He flashed his signature boyish grin and kissed her cheek. Her cheeks which were a light rosy shade, making her whole face glow. A repeated knock on the door interrupted the peaceful silence.

"Aria? Ezra? Are you ready?" Kathleen asked, her voice unusually high. Ezra opened the door.

"Hi auntie. We'll be ready in an hour." He said and closed the door behind her.

"_What? _ We're leaving in fifteen minutes!" She exclaimed and set her purse onto the bed. Aria stopped chewing her burger and gave her a look. Immediately, she sprang up and ran to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and applied the remainder of her face with makeup. Fifteen minutes later she came out refreshed and ready to go with Kathleen and Ezra at her side. The interview she was doing was for a nationwide talk show, so the folks in Rosewood would be able to watch. It was to last for half an hour with commercial breaks, making Aria very anxious.

**AT THE INTERVIEW**

The three walked into the studio and greeted the producers. Aria was immediately sat at the makeup station.

The makeup artist, a man with red hair and arched eyebrows, closely examined her face. "Miss Montgomery, did you do your makeup yourself?" He asked. She nodded. "What a fabulous job you did! I don't think I can do anything more with you except your hair… We'll curl the ends and see what we'll do from there!" He gushed and went straight away with the curling iron. Half an hour later she was released into the room where the interview was to take place. With no time to spare, the interviewer went through common questions: What inspired you to write the novel? Were those powerful feelings real or not? Suddenly the interview cut short of the serious questions and became much more of a gossip magazine.

"So Aria, we couldn't help but notice that handsome lad who came in with you to the studio. Who's this mystery man? Oh, what the heck, bring him on out here from the audience." The interviewer, a pregnant woman with light brown hair whose name was Ivy, asked. Aria took a peek at the audience to see Ezra's cheeks red as a tomato. The audience applauded as he got up from his seat with his crutches and took a seat next to Aria on the sofa.

"So who do you happen to be? A cousin, boyfriend, friend? What's your name?" Ivy asked and took a sip of her coffee. He scratched the corner of his mouth and looked at Aria.

"I'm Ezra Fitz, the boyfriend." He replied and interlocked his fingers with hers. She blushed and ducked her head.

"Ah, so you're the mystery man. So how long have you been together?"

"Ahm, it's complicated." Aria quickly countered before Ezra could open his mouth. She quickly grew annoyed with this woman.

"Oh, alright. So what happened to your leg, Ezra?" She directed her gaze to the cast on his leg.

"It's broken. I broke it in a crash." He said, not realizing yet again what he just said. Aria squeezed his hand hard to let him know how mad she was. He twitched in pain.

"Oh so the rumors are true, then… You two were in a car crash in Philly, am I correct?" Ivy took another sip of her coffee. Aria exchanged an intense glance with Kathleen, who simple shook her head wildly.

"Where'd you hear about it?" She knit her eyebrows together and glanced back at Kathleen, who looked like she wanted to choke her. She slightly shrugged.

"So it's true?" By this time, Aria felt like shooting the lady straight through her head with a machine gun. She nodded and put on her best face.

"Oh my goodness what happened?"

Aria took in a deep breath. Her patience just died. "You want to know what happened? I got in a car accident with this guy next to me and then I learned that I'm pregnant with his babies and now he's going to be ra—" The bell rang, indicating a commercial break. Ivy sat there, her jaw unclenched and eyes widened. Kathleen ran up and pulled them aside.

"Aria what the_ hell _were you thinking? We're on live television!" She squeaked.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I lost my patience. Why does she have to be the interviewer and not some old woman?" Aria glowered. Ezra wrapped his arm around her shoulder and caressed it, slowly calming her.

"And what's this about you being pregnant? What the hell? Why didn't you ever mention this? And you," She poked her finger into Ezra's chest, "Why didn't you mention this either?" When neither of them answered, Kathleen crossed her arms angrily.

"Alright, tell me later. I'm going to contact the producers and ask if they can somehow cut that out." She rolled her eyes and stalked off. Ezra and Aria exchanged glances and sat back down with Ivy.

"Hey, listen, I'm sorry Ivy. I didn't mean to explode like that. I just don't like personal questions and…"

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked the questions. The producers actually cut to commercial right when you took in that breath. Strictly book related question from now on, I promise." Ivy apologized. And so the rest of the interview went on without any personal questions popping up anywhere, making Kathleen and Aria cool down a bit. The three left the studio tired and exhausted, however, it didn't stop Kathleen from asking about Aria's pregnancy.

"Why didn't you tell me you're pregnant?" Kathleen asked. Aria shrugged.

"I was going to, I just didn't want you to worry about anything. You would've worried about everything I ate and whether I felt nauseous or not…"

"I'm sorry for being protective!" Kathleen snapped. Ezra gave her a look.

"Oh Ezra, don't give me that look. So about these babies… You're going to be raising three children."

"I guess so." He sighed and pulled Aria closer to him. Kathleen raised an eyebrow but said nothing for the rest of the car ride.

**THE NEXT DAY**

"Wake up wake up we're going to Disneyland!" Aria screamed, obviously excited, and jumped onto Ezra in the bed.

He groaned. "Just five more minutes."

"No! I want to spend as much time possible there! The lines there are way too long and all I want to go on is the teacup one." She licked his earlobe, giving him shudders.

"Aria." He moaned and buried his head into the pillow.

"Please? While you're still here." She begged and kissed the back of his neck slowly.

"Okay, okay. Just let me get ready." She got off his back and lay next to him.

"Thank you. I love you." She pressed her lips to his. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Love you too pookie bear."

"You haven't called me that in the longest time."

"I know, pookie bear."

"Stop calling me that!"

* * *

><p>"Look it's Mickey!" Aria said, her face lighting up like a little kids would. For the rest of the day the couple spent hours taking pictures with various Disney characters and enjoying their time on rides that Ezra was actually let on. She spent several times throwing up in a barf bag, but it was an overall good day for the two. Towards the end of the day Aria became nauseous, not making her feel any better when she went to drop Ezra off at the airport.<p>

"Don't leave me." Aria cried and let go of him at the airport. He leaned on a wall and grabbed her face with his hands, caressing it.

"I'm sorry, love. I'll see you in three days, don't worry. Love you." He pressed his forehead to hers and kissed her. She gave him a long hug. He let go and got back on his crutches.

"See you in three days. Have a safe flight. I love you." She called as he boarded his plane with a flight attendant lugging his luggage close behind him.


	30. Chapter 30: Spencer's wedding

**G'day mate!** Yeaaaaaah okay this chapter is unusually long. Just another filler chapter, next ones will be much more interesting, I promise! BABY NAMES PEOPLE. Okay, go read.

BUT FIRST

I hate Jason DiLaurentis with a burning passion. And Aria's a complete idiot if she goes to him. I just hate thinking about Ezra's face when he learns that she kissed the creep. Poor Ezra. I'll have him if you don't Aria. I'm having mixed feelings about next weeks episode. WE ONLY WANTED THAT EZRIA SEX SCENE.

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><p>"ARIA!" Spencer, Hanna, and Emily screamed as Aria exited the terminal. They each tackled her with hugs and pokes.<p>

"Damn girl, you got tan!" Hanna gasped and pressed her arm against Aria's.

"You look like a ghost compared to Aria!" Emily laughed. Hanna playfully pushed her and the four friends left the airport with nothing but Aria's over sized bag.

"Now that you're here we can finally start the party!" Spencer whooped as they entered the hotel room she rented for the night. It was clear the girls have already been in there by the way the presents were stacked and streamers were set. Aria set her present on top of the stack.

"Okay, so my mother reserved a table at the Victoria's. We have to be ready in an hour for the bridesmaids luncheon. If you need anything I'll be next door with my mother getting ready. We'll meet you in the lobby. And make sure you have your invitation!" Spencer said and exited the room. The three remaining ladies exchanged a look of confusion.

"This is going to be interesting."

**AN HOUR LATER**

"Hello girls!" Veronica, Spencer's mother, greeted and each gave them a hug. Aria looked around and saw several other women including Spencer's sister, Melissa. Aria gave Mrs. Hastings a polite smile. The ladies headed into the restaurant and took their seats at the reserved table.

"Hanna, Emily, Aria, this is Peyton and Ellie who are my cousins," Spencer pointed to a brunette and a red head, "And this is Kiah, who was basically my only friend in college." Kiah gave a shy smile as Spencer introduced her. Aria smiled and shook each of their hands.

"I've met you before! You've been over a couple times, right?" She asked the shy blonde. She nodded politely.

"Now that everyone's here, we'll start the meal. Thank you all for coming to my bridesmaids luncheon. It's been a tradition in the family for decades and I'd like to continue it." Spencer said. Two waitresses served them soup in fancy little bowls.

"I can't believe you're getting married on Saturday, Spence." Melissa said and took a spoonful of soup into her mouth.

"It feels like yesterday you ruined two of my marriages." She grinned, obviously faking it. Spencer rolled

her eyes. Veronica gave Melissa a warning glare.

"Now now, let's put the past behind us you two. Melissa, let your sister be happy." She hissed. Melissa turned her head and sighed.  
>The rest of the luncheon ran smoothly from that point on. After eating, Spencer placed a round cake she had made onto the surface of the glass table.<p>

"Inside this cake there's a glass turtle. If it's in your slice of cake they say you're blessed in affairs of the heart."Spencer each gave them a slice of cake. Aria poked at hers suspiciously.

"What happens if we eat the turtle?" Emily asked and poked her slice with her fork.

"What happens if we chew on the turtle and we end up bleeding to death?" Ellie asked and took a hesitant bite.

Spencer rolled her eyes. "It's big enough to notice that it's in your mouth, guys. Just be careful not to take too big bites." Aria exchanged a glance with Hanna and took a bite of the red velvet cake.

"This is so good." Aria drooled and took another bite, indulging in its flavor. She let the cake slowly melt in her mouth with each bite.

"Did you make—" She began until she saw something shine from her cake. Using her fork, she dug the shiny object from the cake and lifted it up. "Looks like I'm blessed in affairs of the heart." _It's not the only affair I've been blessed with,_ she thought to herself. Spencer smiled as if she just read her mind.

"Aria's blessed in affairs of the heart because the turtle was in her slice, and she also happens to be blessed with twins on the way with a boyfriend and family and friends who loves her very much. And now that we know who has the trinket I can go on and give you all these presents." Spencer each handed the girls a neatly wrapped, different sized gift box with a ribbon beautifully tied around it.

"Let's start with Peyton, then go around the table clockwise, making us end with Aria. Okay Peyton, you go on and open it." Veronica directed the brunette with the bow in her hair. Each person got something from Spencer that held plenty of sentimental value, Emily got a locket with pictures of her and Spencer, a coffee mug that was filled tons of memories for Kiah, a double ring of a bow with messages of encouragement for Hanna. Aria opened her gift after Hanna opened her own and knit her eyebrows together. There was nothing but a white note card sitting atop a bed of pearl-like beads. She picked it up and read it to herself.

_Dear Aria,_

_Thank you so much for being there for me through everything, Aria. You're truly my best friend and as corny and bizarre as this letter already is, I'm actually glad Ali's death and the whole A scenario brought us back together. Honestly, I can't think of life without you. You have been the ultimate best friend and I just wanted to thank you for that. Now you're probably wondering what the hell you got as a present, so just look up and it'll be right there in front of you. I love you so much Aria and I'm so glad you're going to be my maid of honor. I'm so proud of you and what you've become. I'm going to miss living with you but I know you'll be happy with Ezra and the twins. I LOVE YOU!_

_Love, Spencer._

Aria looked up and saw a small crystal ball sitting on a rock that was used as a stand before her. Inside the globe lay a picture of her and Spencer in a small frame with several sea shells and small beach accessories in a pit of sand. She picked it up and peered into it.

"Spence, this is just… It's just…" She couldn't even finish her sentence before she burst out crying. Spencer got teary eyed herself and gave her a hug.

"Us pregnant women and our hormones, huh?" She smirked. Aria nodded and laughed.

"Thank you, Spence. I love it. It's beautiful. You really didn't need to get me this, though. I could've gone with a locket or even paper clip."

"Well I had no choice, I saw it and thought of how awesome our faces would be in it. I bought it the second I saw it." She chuckled.

**TWO HOURS LATER**

In the hotel room, Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna were left alone to celebrate Spencer's bridal shower/ lingerie party. Melissa and Veronica went back to Rosewood to take care of last minute wedding ordeals, Peyton and Ellie left to pick their parents up for the upcoming wedding, and Kiah claimed to have to attend a meeting somewhere in New Jersey. The four girls took seats on the floor and spread the presents on the floor.

"Open mine first since I had to open yours last. All our presents match." Aria pushed her present in front of Spencer. She opened the present and laughed.

"My first pair of stripper heels! Thank you Aria!" Spencer giggled and slipped the heels on. The girls burst in a fit of giggles.

"Mine next!" Emily handed the soon-to-be Mrs. Cavanaugh her neatly wrapped gift. Spencer tried her best to save the paper, but ended up destroying it anyways.

"Ahm, a whip and three lace bras. Toby's gonna like this! Thank you Em." She winked, picked the whip up and tested it out. Emily grinned as Hanna pushed her gift onto Spencer's lap.

"Oh god, this thong is like nothing. Oh and there are three of them. Thanks Han." She smirked.

"You can mix and match your thongs and bras! Toby will be in heaven!" Hanna laughed and took other presents from the remainder of the pile and handed it over to Spencer.

"Let's not forget the stripper heels and whip!" Emily giggled. Spencer grinned and opened the remaining presents: More lingerie, things you'd get at a sex shop. After Spencer's last gift, Hanna threw her arms into the air.

"Let's get some drinks and party hard!" She shrieked. Spencer and Aria both pointed to their stomachs.

"You're forgetting something, Han." Aria rolled her eyes and buried her face in her hands. Hanna frowned.

"Oh. Right. Doesn't mean Emily and I can't." She smirked.

"Hanna!" Emily playfully punched her shoulder.

"I'm kidding!" Hanna groaned.

"I wish we could party… I mean you two can order some drinks, Aria and I can get some frozen daiquiris with no liquor." Spencer reasoned. After they all agreed, she picked up the phone and ordered the beverages. They all plopped down onto the bed.

"So I brought some chick flicks we can watch… Titanic or The Notebook first?"

"Leonardo DiCaprio or Ryan Gosling… Tough one."

After deciding on Gosling and McAdams first, the girls went straight away to drinking and crying and giggling. Not even halfway through The Titanic, Hanna and Emily fell asleep giggling. Only Spencer and Aria lay wide awake in the room at 2 A.M.

"So how far along are you, Spence? Fourteen weeks, right?" Aria asked. Spencer nodded.

"Toby and I have mixed feelings about whether to learn the sex of the baby or not… I mean I really do want to, to learn the sex, but Toby doesn't. He likes being old fashioned."

"How about… Well I'll have to discuss it with Ezra, but how about we both go to each other's appointments. I can keep the sex of your baby a secret and you can keep the sex of my babies a secret."

"And then we can reveal it at our baby showers that's BRILLIANT Aria!" Spencer jumped from her spot on the bed and clapped her hands.

"Of course I'll have to discuss it with Ezra but I'm sure it'll be fine with him."

"Let's hope Toby's fine with it." Spencer sighed.

**SATURDAY, AT THE WEDDING RECEPTION**

"To Spencer and Toby!" Aria held her glass of apple juice, her wine decoy, up in the air after she delivered her speech as the maid of honor. The guests stood up, mirrored her movement, and took a sip of the wine. She sat back down next to Ezra at the table where the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen sat.

"How did my speech go? Rough?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"No, you delivered it beautifully."

"I didn't sound like I had nasal problems? I was crying halfway through it."

"It was very slight. We could feel your emotions through your voice." Ezra smirked. Aria scrunched her nose.

"Quit with the sarcasm, Fitz. Eat your potatoes!"

"Wow, so this is what you two are really like?" Hanna laughed. Suddenly, Aria remembered this was probably the only time her friends have seen them together being a couple. She nodded.

"Uh, I guess so." She said and plucked a carrot into her mouth.

"Speaking of you and Fitz, your little freak out came unnoticed by the Rosewood citizens." Emily coughed.

"What? I thought they cut that out." Aria groaned.

"Oh, they did to the rest of the country, just not Rosewood."

"Shit." Aria muttered, remembering when she freaked out on television. They continued their meals and watched as the newly weds each fed each other a slice of cake. After Spencer and Toby finished their first dance together as a couple, Ezra stood up and tugged on Aria's hand.

"Let's dance, m'lady." He smiled.

"Let's." Ezra led Aria towards the small cluster of people dancing and held her close. She pressed her ear against his chest and swayed to the music.

"Ezra, can I ask you a question?" She asked. He rubbed her hip as they continued to slowly sway to the soft beat of the song.

"You just did, but ask away, love."

"Would you mind if we found out the sex of our babies a couple weeks before they're due?"

He bit his lip long and hard. "Well," He kissed the top of her head. "Do you want to? I wouldn't mind as long as we know the genders before they're born."

"You would. And what I was thinking is that Spencer can come along to an appointment and she can keep the genders a secret until the baby shower, assuming we'll have one. I'm planning on coming along to hers next week, so…"

"That would be fantastic, Aria. But I thought that you hated surprises with a burning passion…" He smirked.

"Only bad surprises. I really like the idea, do you?"

"I love it." The two continued to slow dance until someone's voice caught Aria's ear.

"I am so sorry for being late Spencer! Someone came in last minute and…" Aria whipped her head around to see Rebecca standing awkwardly next to Spencer. She muttered a reply to the pregnant woman and was taken yet again into Toby's arms. Rebecca stood over the salad bar and picked at the choices.

"I didn't know Rebecca was invited." Aria commented and nodded her head towards Rebecca's direction.

"I didn't know, either…" Aria broke away from Ezra's arms and headed her way over to Rebecca.


	31. Chapter 31: A check off his checklist

**Hi! **I'm no longer in denial about episode 209! That sneak peek is like chocolate to my eyes. I'm not really sure about this chapter, it actually confuses me. But here you go, another filler chapter. A short one, too. I had to write this rushed because I don't think I'll be able to post in a few days and I didn't want you guys to wait, so... Okay.

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><p>Before Aria could reach the pregnant woman in time, Spencer slyly grabbed her arm and led her back to the dance floor<p>

"Aria do not harass the woman." Spencer breathed as the jazz music bellowed from the speakers. She placed her hands on Aria's shoulders.

"I wasn't going to! I was just going to make some friendly conversation." Aria snapped, looking her way over at Ezra. He was sitting at the table again, taking small sips of what looked like scotch. Spencer gave her a questionable look and gripped her shoulders.

"Friendly conversation? About what?" She asked lowly. Aria glanced back to Rebecca, who was busy licking her lips at the many food entrees.

"You know, just how far along she is, if she's decided on a name or anything. Just a friendly exchange between two women."

Spencer raised her eye brows and eased her grip on Aria's shoulders. "Alright, just don't upset her. The last thing I want is for Rebecca to make a scene at my wedding."

"I wouldn't do that to you, Spence. She looked over Spencer's shoulder to see Ezra and Toby laughing away at their table. "Looks like our guys are getting along swell." Aria nodded her head towards the two laughing men. Spencer looked over and smirked.

"Toby came over a couple times while you were away. He was kind of weirded out that you and Ezra were together, but they ended up getting along great." Spencer explained. Aria nodded thoughtfully and smiled.

"Hey, I'll talk to you later. Let me have that friendly conversation with Rebecca." She gave Spencer a quick hug. "By the way, you look gorgeous, as usual. And thanks for the dance, lovely."

"You look pretty stunning yourself. Now go mother of two, go!" Spencer chuckled and pushed her off the dance floor. Aria approached Rebecca, putting on a bright smile.

"Hey there!" Aria greeted and took a seat next to the woman with the round stomach. Rebecca's eyes twinkled with curiosity.

"Oh, Aria! Hello." She replied lowly.

"You look beautiful. How far along are you? When are you due?" Aria asked and brushed a flyaway hair from her face away.

"I'm at 23 weeks, now. I'm due on the 11th of January. What about you? I heard about your pregnancy from Ezra… He didn't tell me that you're having twins, though." Aria could see the hurt and betrayal rise out from the depths of Rebecca's eyes.

"I, um, I'm at 12 weeks, due date is on March 17th. Oh, he didn't?"

Rebecca shook her head, the soft dirty blond curls tossing around. "No, he didn't. I heard about it on the local news, actually. When they interviewed you in California."

"Oh? Well that's embarrassing." Aria mumbled. "So, have you thought up of a baby name yet? I remember Ezra telling me he liked the name Dylan." She quickly changed the subject.

"Dylan? Really. Knowing him, he'd probably want to name our son after one of his favorite authors." Rebecca shrugged, dunking her spoon in a mountain of potatoes.

"That's an Ezra-like thing, huh? Well, you should come over sometime so you two can discuss the name and of course, your baby's future…" Aria suggested. She knew Rebecca and Ezra had to confront each other sometime whether they wanted to or not. As much as she didn't want them together in a room together discussing baby names, she knew she needed to do this for that baby's own sake. Rebecca stayed silent, the jazz music playing in the background.

"Soon, hopefully. I've got a therapist seminar to host for a few days in New York City, then another in Manhattan." She quietly replied. The edges of Aria's lips slightly turned down slowly. This Rebecca was _very _different from the Rebecca she knew a month ago.

"Oh, fun. Well, I'll see you around sometime, okay? You're always welcomed to come over." With the speed of a turtle, Aria pushed her chair in and gave Rebecca's shoulder a squeeze.

"Thanks, Aria. You look fabulous, by the way." Aria was starting to see the woman she saw just last month.

"You are more so, Rebecca. You're glowing." She smiled. Rebecca returned the smile and Aria walked away back to Ezra.

"Why'd you talk to Rebecca, love?" He asked and pecked a kiss on her temple.

"I invited her to come over sometime so you two can talk about your baby's future." She said, ignoring his confused stare.

"I could have done that myself, Aria."

"I know you could've. I was just doing it for you." She replied, brushing her fingertips across the table. "It's not like you would have done it soon. I know you, Ezra. You would've done it last minute."

"I would not!" He argued.

"Ezra, I was just checking one thing off of your list."

"Well I didn't want it to be checked off quite yet!" He snapped.

"Well sorry. I just don't want your baby to be fatherless."

"Are you saying I would abandon my baby?"

"Well it certainly feels like you haven't been putting much of an effort to improve things with Rebecca. And if that doesn't happen soon, things might get complicated."

"I have tried, Aria. I've been giving her space to cool off from our last conversation." Aria opened her mouth, but was interrupted by the sound of Toby's voice bellowing from the speakers that were scattered about on the walls.

"We'd like to call everyone who participated in the ceremony to come with us outdoors for a short photo shoot." Aria left Ezra without hesitation and checked the clock: 7:45. She'd have to leave in an hour to drive back to Philly.

"Alright all the bridesmaids go forward and just pose under that fir with the bride…"

**THREE HOURS LATER**

She looked out the window of the plane and sighed angrily. She left without telling Ezra goodbye purposely. She was angry with him. Before, while discussing his baby with Rebecca, he'd always brush it away like a feather on his nose. It was clear he didn't like to discuss the topic by the way he'd tell her "he was just giving Rebecca space to cool." She knew he'd have to confront the woman eventually, and she was only doing him a favor. It completely backfired on her, having him not grateful, but equally angry. She didn't mean to accuse him of abandoning his own child, it just slipped out of her mouth at the heat of the moment. She was only doing the responsible thing. She cuddled her purse and squeezed her eyes shut. As much as she hated the thought of her still sharing her man with Rebecca, despite the fact they were now broken up, she still felt the responsibility to make sure Ezra was fulfilling his duties. So far, he's done none.

* * *

><p>I'm not sure if this actually made sense, so I'll explain it to you. Basically the argument was about how Ezra's neglecting his 'fatherly responsibilities' and how he's denying it all. Aria's mad that he won't confront Rebecca and how that if he doesn't soon, he'll be in some trouble. She's also mad because he snapped at her for telling Rebecca to come over to discuss the baby's future when he could've done it himself and he thinks she's babying him, I guess. I DONT KNOW IT WAS AN ARGUMENT. THERE. And tell me if it actually made sense because I feel sort of dead right now to make sense of things. Alrighty, ciao.<p> 


	32. Chapter 32: Farewell to the book tour!

**Bondjou! **Good morning! How did you guys like 209? Not exactly what I was hoping for with ezria, but I still absolutely loved it, even with Jason's head in half the scenes. Jason's a creep who needs to mate with a stick of jerky. Come on Ezra, de-can the cream soda ;D Alright, go read. Another cliffhanger awaits you. Enjoy!

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><p>Aria spent the rest of her book tour in the east coast, traveling from destination to destination each day. She purposely left her phone with Kathleen at all times to avoid talking to Ezra. However, today she'd be back in Rosewood to end the tour at the local book shop. She opened the door to her condo and breathed in the apple cinnamon scent that wafted through the air. She checked the clock: 1:04. Ezra's still at work. Letting go a sigh of relief, she lugged her luggage into her bedroom and changed into some decent clothes before going to the book store which was only a mile away. After ten long minutes walking, she finally set foot in the store and smiled. She was glad to be back home in familiar surroundings. She picked up a random book from the shelf and sat down on the old couch. Only 16 pages in, Kathleen barged through the doors carrying a box.<p>

"Oh good you're here. Do you mind helping me get the other box from the truck?" Kathleen asked and heaved the box onto the folding table.

"Yeah, sure."

**AN HOUR LATER**

The store was packed by the time the book signing started. People, local or not, piled in with their copies of her book in hand. Aria gratefully signed each book and took plenty of pictures with each person wanting one.

"Hola!" Hanna slid her copy of Past Her Horizon to Aria and smirked. Aria's tired mouth curled at the tips once again.

"Hey guys!" She laughed and signed the copies of Emily, Spencer, and Hanna's books. They all took a seat next to Aria on the old couch.

"We're glad you're back!" Emily gushed, running her hand through her silky hair.

"I'm glad I'm back, too. I missed you all!" Aria replied while signing another person's book. She flashed a smile at the camera lens and went back to signing books and pictures.

Hanna and Emily got up from their spots. "Em and I are going to the bakery across from here to get something to eat and drink. Need anything, you two?" Hanna asked.

"Maybe a cup of hot chocolate. And maybe a slice of apple pie. Or two." Spencer drooled and patted her slightly bulging stomach.

"I'll just have an apple fritter. Thanks guys."

"No problem, you two." Emily warmly responded and within seconds the two were out the store. Aria patiently waited for the woman up next in line to tame her restless child.

"So the ultrasound is on the 13th, don't forget. Toby has finally agreed to our little plan we devised." Spencer mumbled into Aria's ear. She nodded and signed the woman's book. She gave the woman a smile and shook her hand.

"Sounds good. I'm excited!" She grinned while signing a book that belonged to a man that appeared to be in his mid-twenties. She called a thank you to him and turned back to Spencer. "Mine is on the thirtieth, so you better be here."

"I'm not leaving until November 5th, so I'll definitely be here. Hey, I'm just going to go find a book real quick." Spencer replied, then waited for a nod from Aria, which she immediately got. She got up from her seat and turned for the stairs. Aria spent another ten minutes signing books.

"Hi! Thanks for coming out—" Aria began, but was distracted by the gold border of the book's cover. She only knew one person who had that: Her. Then why was it…

"I'm sorry." She looked up and found herself looking into eyes that resembled a calming ocean blue. She only knew one person whose eyes looked liked that: Ezra.

"Oh, Ezra." She bit her lip and silently willed herself to not spring up and hug him. She signed the inside of the golden rimmed book and pushed it back to him. He slid it back to her and dug his hands deep in his pockets.

"This is yours, remember?"

Aria nodded and watched as he went to explore the many books on the shelves. She found herself constantly distracted by his presence as the line halted to its end. Ezra came back to the table after the last person left.

"May I…?" He nodded to the empty space beside her. She nodded and bit the inside of her cheek.

"So what are you reading?" She asked as he sat beside her. She looked at the cover and couldn't help but grin.

"What to expect when you're expecting?" She burst out laughing.

"Hey! I'm doing what you told me to do! I'm studying to help prep me to becoming a father!" He scratched the scruff on his chin. "Which reminds me, why didn't you give me a goodbye at the wedding? I spent nearly three hours wallowing in that iodine mixed with diet coke scotch."

"I'm sorry for not telling you goodbye, Ezra. I was just so angry you weren't doing anything to help resolve the situation with Rebecca. I really should've trusted you to do things on your own."

"No, you were right. I shouldn't have been so harsh on you, Aria. I need to face her whether I want to or not, I'm the father of her baby too." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and lifted her chin up with his pointer finger.

"So, have you talked to her?" She asked lowly.

"No, she's been out of town. I will when she gets back, I promise." He sighed, placing the thick book onto the folding table.

"Good."

"I missed you. I was slowly dying not hearing your voice." He leaned in and gave her a kiss.

"Yeah, sorry about that." She sighed after their lips parted.

"I hope you know that you're quite stubborn." He commented and slid his hands beneath her loose shirt.

"Not in public, Ezra." She gritted between her teeth. Instead of doing what she was expecting him to do, he placed his hands on her abdomen.

"So when do we get to learn the sex of these two?" He asked and rubbed the bulge on her milky skin.

"Well, Spencer gets to know on the thirtieth. We get to know on the baby shower, remember?" She reminded him and placed her own two hands on top of his through the fabric of her shirt. He opened his mouth, but then closed it and nodded.

"Look what I found, Aria!" Spencer suddenly appeared carrying an armload of different pregnancy books. Ezra slid his hands out of her shirt slowly.

"Oh, I didn't know you'd be here, Ezra. Shouldn't you be at work?" Spencer asked, still unaware of Aria and Ezra's previous argument.

"It's Saturday."

"Oh, yeah." Spencer laughed feverishly and dumped the books onto the table. Just then Hanna and Emily entered the store, the bell faintly jingling to indicate their arrival. Emily placed two brown bags onto the pile of books.

"An apple fritter for Aria… And Ezra. Hot chocolate and a slice of apple pie for Spencer." She declared. Hanna placed a coffee cup beside the pile.

"They only had one slice left, sorry Spence." She apologized. Spencer frowned.

"It's okay. Thank you, though."

**THREE DAYS LATER**

Aria looked out the window from her seat on the couch and let out an angry sigh. She watched as Ezra repeatedly ring Rebecca's doorbell every five minutes for the past twenty minutes. She watched as Ezra pulled out his cell phone from his jacket pocket and later put it back in frustration. He finally gave up and crossed the street back to the condo.

"Aria, Rebecca wouldn't answer the door or pick up the phone, again." Ezra groaned as he plopped down on the couch next to Aria. Her thick eyebrows came together.

"Seriously? She seemed fine when I talked to her at the wedding… You know what, I'm fed up with that woman refusing to do anything. I'm going there myself." Aria huffed and pulled a coat onto her bare arms. Ezra blinked and shook his head.

"Are you sure? What if she's just asleep or—"

"Ezra, she's avoiding you. I saw her clear out the fog on her window with her sleeve and a second later her face popped up after you left. I'll get her to open up." Aria interrupted while pulling her boots on.

"Alright, I'll be waiting. Tell me how it goes." He placed a kiss on her lips and she shut the door behind her. She trotted across the street and rung the doorbell. Almost instantly she saw Rebecca's distressed face pop up through the cleared out spot of the fogged window pane. Her face instantly softened and soon disappeared. Aria waited until she opened the door.

"Rebecca, look, you and Ezra have to talk, for the sake of your baby. I—"

"Aria, come in." Rebecca gestured for her to enter the house. Aria stepped in and observed the room. It was designed a lot like her own condo, but with different furniture.

"Look, I'm not ready to talk to Ezra, okay? I might have been two months ago, but after learning that he cheated on me…"

"That isn't the point! Put your differences aside, please, for your baby. Ezra's willing to, why won't you?" Aria snapped.

"Because he cheated on me! It's easier for him to set aside because he wasn't the one who was hurt." Rebecca huffed. She wobbly walked over to a lounger and sat on it. Aria followed and sat across from her.

"I'm sorry, Rebecca. I really am." Aria whispered and bit her lip.

"You have no idea how much it hurts, Aria. You don't." Rebecca sneered, then buried her face in her hands.

"But I do…" Aria let out a shuddery sigh, suddenly remembering the pain she felt years ago from when Ezra left her.

"Oh? How so?"

"I've lost Ezra before, Rebecca. He left me without even saying a word. Not only did he leave unexpectedly, but he left me when I was pregnant."

"Sounds quite familiar, don't you—"

"Wait, I'm not finished. I was left alone, with this child, who I ended up losing. You aren't alone, Rebecca. You still have Ezra, even if he isn't _with_ you." Aria bit the inside of her mouth to prevent the tears from escaping. She took in a deep breath to calm herself down. Rebecca took a long minute to consume what Aria just said.

"I'm so sorry Aria. I didn't realize…" She started, but stopped mid sentence. Aria wrapped her arms around her chest.

"You're right. It isn't all about me and Ezra's issues. I need to quit avoiding you two… I'll come by some time this week to discuss the baby. I'm sorry again Aria…" Rebecca apologized, then gave her an unexpected hug. Aria's eyes jumped out of its sockets, but she returned the hug gratefully. Today's certainly been a box of surprises.

**OCTOBER 13****TH****, SPENCER'S ULTRASOUND**

"Your friend Aria's the only person, besides me, that will know about the baby's sex, correct?" The ultrasound technician asked as she squirted the gel onto Spencer's stomach. Both Toby and Spencer nodded.

"On her baby shower I'll be revealing the gender. She'll do the same with my babies." Aria responded. The nurse smiled.

"Well I've never heard that before." She waved the device across her stomach and slowly a picture appeared onto the screen. After giving Spencer and Toby the basic health information, the technician asked for Aria to step out of the room. They both walked back to the waiting area, Aria undoubtedly excited.

"Well it looks like Mrs. Cavanaugh's having…"


	33. Chapter 33: Rebecca's visit

**Ciao! **What did you guys think of 210? Enjoy this delayed chapter of Summer Affairs!

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><p><em> Aria ran her fingers through the dark chocolate curls at the top of a child's head. Her fingers traveled to the child's plump cheeks. Her eyelashes were long and fluttery, resembling the way a butterfly spread out its wings. The butterfly sat on the edge of a pool whose color that can only be looked upon as a dull silvery blue. Aria marveled at her eyes, her nose, her lips. Everything was too small to be real, yet it felt real. She took in the baby's scent of sweet petals and turned her gaze at Ezra, whose cough interrupted her trance. He held another bundle in his arms, this one blue. She strode her way over to him and the bundle. Atop the baby's head a nest of blond curls gently rested. The baby opened his eyes to reveal its light brown eyes. Aria stared at him in confusion. This baby looked nothing like her. The man gave a small cough again and turned his head around to welcome a familiar figure. The slim figure pranced over to Ezra and welcomed him with a light kiss on the cheek. Her hair was wavy and colored dirty blond. Aria went out to slap his face when her hand sliced through his skin harmlessly, not bothering him at all. Ezra, obviously unaware of the swipe, turned to Rebecca and gave her a long kiss. Suddenly the little pink baby in her arms slowly crumpled and Aria felt herself shattering, piece by piece.<em>

"Aria! Aria? Wake up, babe." Ezra gently prodded her shoulder and tucked in the sweaty strands of hair behind her ear. Aria woke up instantly, her face sticky and hot.

"You were having a bad dream, love. You started to whimper." He whispered, then pressed his lips on her bare shoulder. She groaned and buried her head into his chest.

"Did I wake you?" She asked, inhaling his rustic smell.

"Sort of." He admitted.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I should've been up hours ago." He assured. She puffed out a sigh and yawned.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" She asked, untangling herself from his warm arms.

"I don't need to be in by 10, and it's only 8:20. What do you want to eat?" He yawned, then massaged her shoulders. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head in ecstasy.

"Hmm, toast is fine. With lots of nutella." She smirked and pulled away from his hungry hands. He got up from the bed and pulled his robe on.

"Care to join me, m'lady?" He offered her his hand and together they walked down the staircase. Aria sat at the island.

"We have to start decorating Spencer's baby nursery. She showed me a couple of pictures and we both agreed on this design if she was having a girl. And now that she is, we'll have to start on the room to save time." Aria handed him a picture from the folder on the surface.

"Orange, that's an interesting color for a girl." He commented and pushed the picture back to her.

"And pink—" Aria's brows knit in confusion at the sound of the doorbell. She marched upstairs to answer the door, finding her face to face with Rebecca. Rebecca's hair was pulled up in a pony tail and her ear buds stuck in her ears. Rebecca pulled the buds out and slid out of her tennis shoes.

"I'm sorry for being here so early, it's just that I was about to go on my walk when I saw Ezra's car and I assumed that he was home… Every time I try to come over I would assume he would be somewhere else since his car wasn't in the driveway." She pulled Aria into a sudden hug. "He's here, right?" Aria awkwardly pulled away from the embrace and nodded.

"Who is it, love?" Ezra paraded up the stairs. Aria opened her mouth, but he already found himself in front of the two women.

"Hi, Ezra." Rebecca shyly greeted. Ezra gave her a small smile and gestured for them to go into the living room.

"Aria, breakfast is downstairs." He said. She bit her lip and went downstairs to give them their privacy.

"I just entered the third trimester at 28 weeks. He kicks a lot." Rebecca quietly stuttered.

"Really?" He looked at her round stomach in awe. She nodded and placed her hands protectively on it.

"I've been thinking of some names… I really like Ethan. Ethan Zachery." She said, her voice softening. He took a minute to think.

"I thought you liked Dylan?"

"I did, but I just heard that name and fell in love with it. Do you like it?" She asked hopefully. He nodded his head.

"Ethan Zachery Clyde?" He asked. She opened her mouth, but no voice followed.

"You know, I don't mind him having your last name…" He started. Instead, she nodded.

"I was hoping you wouldn't mind…" She sighed in relief. The two went into detail about the baby and eventually they started easing into more casual talk and soon they were laughing and smiling. Aria, who stuck herself in her office for the past hour they were talking, finally unlocked the door and walked in on Ezra and Rebecca. They were happily smiling and sharing past experiences with babies.

"I, um, I don't want to interrupt but it's almost 10." Aria nodded towards the ticking clock. Ezra's eyes grew wide.

"Time flies by fast. Yeah, I should get going now, too." Rebecca said and stepped into the foyer. Ezra awkwardly nodded and waved.

"Well my next ultrasound is on the thirtieth at 1:45, can you go, Ezra?" She asked hopefully. Before Ezra could open his mouth, Aria shook her head.

"I… Uh… Well, Aria's ultrasound is at the same time on the same day, so…"

"Oh. I understand. Well I better get going. Bye." Rebecca's heartbroken face left the condo, leaving Ezra to get ready for another day at Hollis.

**THE THIRTIETH, ARIA'S ULTRASOUND**

Hand in hand, Ezra and Aria entered the clinic with Spencer trailing behind them. She sat down on the chair next to Ezra's in the room.

"So, correct me if I'm wrong, this young lady here is the only person who's going to know the genders of your twins?" The technician asked while squirting the gel onto Aria's round belly. Both Spencer and Aria nodded. She waited until the image popped up on the screen.

"Oh, look. The baby on the right is sucking its thumb." The technician pointed out and smiled. Aria gasped and squeezed Ezra's hand. The technician excused her and Spencer out of the room, leaving the couple alone to watch the babies. Ezra held the probe onto a part of Aria's stomach where the technician directed him to.

"Ezra, those are our babies. Can you believe it?" Aria teared up and held tightly to his hand. His smile grew larger.

"They are beautiful." He said, kissing her cheek.

"I know. Look how adorable the baby on the right is." She smiled brightly and stared as the baby sucked its thumb. "Oh my god, I seriously have to pee." She suddenly groaned. He chuckled and watched as the babies moved slightly inside her womb.

"That's what happens when you drink too much water, Aria." He chuckled.

"I had no choice, it's required." She retorted. The technician, Spencer, and a radiologist, who just joined the party, entered the room. Spencer was grinning from cheek to cheek.

"Don't you say a word." Aria warned her best friend. Spencer nodded and pursed her lips shut.

**AN HOUR LATER**

Ezra jiggled the keys into the door knob and unlocked the door. Aria happily entered the living room, the ultrasound pictures in hand.

"Surprise!"

Aria jumped from her spot, dropping the pictures in hand. Ezra appeared behind her and stared at the person who scared Aria in puzzlement.

"Kathleen! How'd you…" She gasped. Ezra bent over and picked the pictures up.

"I have an extra key from that one time…" She smirked and gave the surprised couple a hug each.

"_Why _are you even _here?_!" Aria asked, taking a seat onto the couch.

"Oh, just here to tell you that you get to be spend two weeks in Europe for another book tour. They're going to be celebrating the French, Spanish, and several other language release of Past Her Horizon… " Kathleen squealed. Aria's hazel eyes grew and Ezra's jaw dropped.

"What? When?"

"In December, from the 9th to 23rd." She smiled and took the pictures out of Ezra's hand.

"That's so exciting!" Aria breathed.

"What's that baby doing?" Kathleen asked, pointing to the baby on the right.

"The baby's sucking its thumb." Ezra said.

"How cute! Oh, I forgot to mention that you may come along if you want to." She said, turning to Ezra. He grinned.

"I'd love to." He responded. Aria's grin grew.

"This is going to be so exciting! I can't wait!"

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><p>Big thanks to MzPink4 for the name!<p> 


	34. Chapter 34: Hello, London

**Bonjour! **I am so sorry for not posting earlier, everyone :( I just started school and I haven't had that much time to write. For the time being, I'm hoping to get to 315-320 reviews before I upload a new chapter, just so I at least have enough time. I miss writing :( Anyways, how'd you all like the PLL mid-season finale? Good? Unbelievably good? Did your jaw drop until it reached hell and back? Enjoy this unnaturally fluffy Summer Affairs chapter! I miss you guys!

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><p>November for Aria and Ezra passed quickly. The fall slowly transitioned into winter in Rosewood, causing its residents to bundle up with knit scarves and warm boots. Aria spent most of her time indoors writing chapters in her office, her stomach quickly growing week after week. Ezra spent his days renovating the old guestroom in Rebecca's condo to a nursery with Rebecca herself. They were almost finished now; all they needed was a crib and some curtains to match the zoo animal theme. Tired of waiting, Aria went to sleep without him and woke only to see him leaving for work. Weekends were really the only days Aria and Ezra spent together. During their time together, they would be at Spencer's house setting up the nursery for their baby, giving them hardly any time to spend together freely. However, for the next two weeks, there would be no Rebecca, European food, and her man finally all to herself.<p>

"So what's the schedule for when we land in London?" Ezra asked, placing a hand on her knee.

"Well when we get there it'll be around the time the sun sets, so really nothing. We'll meet up with Kathleen and probably eat dinner out somewhere, then maybe a little sightseeing. All I know is that my first book signing is at 9:45 the next morning." Aria replied, shutting the plane window down so that only a sliver of the outside showed. She nervously chewed her minty gum and braced herself for the plane to lift itself off the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut and held onto Ezra's hand tightly. She never liked this part of a plane ride.

"I hate this part." She whimpered, digging her head into his shoulder. She felt several kicks in her stomach and moaned.

"I don't think the babies like it either." She placed her remaining hand onto the center of her stomach. Ezra placed his hand onto her round belly and rubbed it in circles.

"Be nice to your mommy or else your daddy won't learn how to make pizza while we're in Italy." He scolded.

Aria giggled and slapped his hand away."Don't listen to him. If he doesn't learn then I will." She felt another kick as the plane lifted into the sky.

"Remember when we felt the first kick?" She mumbled into his ear, her chin on his shoulder. He nodded, remembering the happiness that swelled up inside of him the moment he felt it.

_**Flashback**_

_Spencer and Aria agreed that they will each work on each other's nurseries, since only they knew the gender's of one another's babies. It was the first weekend in November, and the two were painting the room a pink that resembled the sky when the sun set. Aria looked at the pictures of each gender's room picks Spencer had given her. She dipped her paintbrush into the pink paint can, then streaked the wall with its color once again. She scrunched her nose at the foul fumes the paint released. Ezra's brows came together at the sight of her scrunched face._

_"You know I read somewhere that pregnant women shouldn't overwork themselves while painting." He commented, then used the roller to paint the pink onto the walls. Aria blinked and set the paintbrush down._

_"But-"_

_"Aria, you need to take plenty of breaks, remember? It's been two hours and you've been going nonstop. Plus, it looks like you're about to vomit. Take a long break, please. I'll paint the room pink, love." He set the roller down and led her outside the nursery and into Toby and Spencer's living room. She sighed in defeat and plopped her tired self onto the loveseat._

_"Stay here, relax, or take a nap, okay? Yell for me if you need me." He pressed his lips to hers and turned back to the nursery, only to be pulled back by Aria. _

_He looked back at her, puzzled. "Hmm?" She patted the seat next to her. _

"_Stay with me just for a little. Until I fall asleep." She begged. He sat down and slid his right hand under her shirt. She rested her head onto his shoulder and slowly shut her eyes._

_"I can't wait until Europe, Ezra." She murmured._

_He rested his cheek upon the scalp of her silky hair. "I can't either, love. It's really going to be an adventure."_

_She sighed happily and smiled. "Mhm, it sure will. You need to learn how to make some real Italian pizza."_

_"Maybe if you learn how to make croissants in France." He smirked. Suddenly, a soft thump from inside Aria's stomach lightly vibrated the rest of her womb. She widened her eyes and sat up straight. She lifted her baby doll blouse up to reveal her bare stomach and gasped._

_"A kick! Ezra, one of the babies kicked!" She said in excitement. She placed her hand next to Ezra's and waited for another one to appear. She stared up at his shocked but happy face and smiled from cheek to cheek. She beamed at Ezra and then to her round stomach. Another kick rose up from her womb, this time on the other side. She gasped and placed her hand onto the spot where the baby kicked._

_"The first kick was from the left side. Remember that." He finally said after the fourth or fifth kick. She nodded excitingly and smacked her lips against his. Grinning, he pulled away and let her head rest on his shoulder when the kicks began to subdue. She snuggled herself into the side of his body, and slowly her eyes began to flutter shut, surrendering her to sleep._

_**End of Flashback**_

"_Good evening everybody, welcome to London, England. It is currently 5:47 P.M. It is 6° Celsius, or 43° Fahrenheit with clear skies. We will be landing in about 15 minutes, please remain in your seats and buckle those seat belts up. Thank you for choosing..."_ The pilot said into the intercom, waking Aria and Ezra from their slumber. Yawning, she straightened herself in her seat as the pilot's words continued in several other languages.

"We're going to have to adjust to this new time zone. It feels like we've been sleeping for decades." He groaned, slipping his hand into hers. She nodded sleepily and nestled herself into his sore shoulder again. Her eyes wandered to the closed window.

"Can you open the window, Ezra?" She asked, nudging him. He nodded and lifted the cover up, allowing faint rays of sunlight through the window. She lifted her head off of his shoulder and leaned towards the sunlight. They were just above the magnificent city now, the roads going in various directions. Aria bit her lip to keep from squealing.

"It's absolutely breathtaking." He smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"This is so exciting. I mean, I've been here before with my family but with you it's a whole new adventure." She said, her hazel eyes boring into his blue ones. He nodded, not breaking their gaze.

"We also have these ones, you know." He smirked, hovering his hand over her stomach. Her eyes sparkled as he slightly bent his head to kiss her waiting lips. After what seemed like hours, he pulled away and took out a folded, crumpled paper from his backpack.

_"Bonjour mon nom est Ezra Fitz."_He read, trying his best to sound somewhat French. She burst into a fit of giggles.

"You sound ridiculous. Good thing I took French in high school." She chuckled. He frowned.

"Well I'm sorry if I fail at trying to sound like I'm French. But I must say, I'm pretty decent at Spanish." He boasted. She giggled once more, breaking out Ezra's pearly whites.

"Oh? Tell me something in Spanish then. And make it complex." She challenged.

He took a minute or two thinking, then finally spoke. _"Que son basante de la belleza Aria Montgomery. Te amo más que palabras puendo describir."_She felt the blush rise from her neck as she prepared herself for the plane to make its landing.

" I took Spanish in junior high."

"I know."

**THIRTY MINUTES LATER  
><strong>  
>Ezra let out an exasperated sigh and pressed the end call button, obviously irritable. She gave him a confused look.<p>

"Kathleen's stuck in Dublin, Ireland. She has to take a boat over and shouldn't be here until one A.M. We're gonna have to go to dinner without her. Problem is, is that I have no idea where the restaurant is. She says that the reservation is at 7:30."

"Relax, we have an hour and a half. We can call Kathleen back. Lets just call a cab and we'll go from there." She said, calming him down a bit.

He shook his head. "We can't call her, though. She was on the boat when we lost connection."

"Then we'll go to a different restaurant. No need to get frustrated." She rubbed his shoulder lightly, wondering why he was so worked up over something so small. She lightly shook it off as he called for a taxi.

The couple arrived at a nearby Italian restaurant an hour later, taking a seat in an upstairs booth. Aria stuffed her large luggage into the space beside her.

"It's been a long time since we've been out on an actual date, huh?" She said, flipping through the thick-paged menu.

He smiled apologetically. "I suppose that it's my fault we haven't spent that much time together. I mean, with work and Rebecca's pregnancy…"

"Yeah, I understand, though. But we have a whole two weeks to ourselves, and I can't wait to spend it with you." She replied. The two sat silently as they looked through the menus. They continued with small talk after the waiter took their orders in his fancy accent. After dinner, the two loaded up into another taxi and took off to the hotel. She kicked off her flats and plopped down onto the clean, comfortable queen sized bed.

"This is nice…" She observed the walls that enclosed the couple and the furniture that helped define the room. "Honestly, I'm not tired at all." She sighed heavily. He opened the balcony door and held his hand out to help her get up. She clung onto his side as they entered the balcony, his arm wrapped around her waist. They leaned against the railing and stared at the clear, starry sky.

"It's so beautiful. Why is it so clear, though? It's December." She asked, looking into his eyes. He shrugged and placed a kiss on her lips.

"I've been thinking about some baby names… We'll need to think up of two girl names and two boy ones. What about Andrew, as a definite boy name if we have one boy?" He asked, hoping she'd approve.

She nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, Ezra. I love it. I'm sure your brother would've loved that." She whispered, shivering at the chill that passed through the winter atmosphere. He deeply inhaled to keep the minor tears from falling.

She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips with every ounce of passion within her small frame. He dug his free hand into his coat pocket and fumbled around with an engagement ring with his thumb and index finger. _Was this the moment?_


End file.
